


A Prison Around Our Wrists

by jaqtkd



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M, From Eden
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-26
Updated: 2016-01-10
Packaged: 2018-04-11 08:24:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 66,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4428278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaqtkd/pseuds/jaqtkd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In this twenty-first century AU, magic is acknowledged but strictly controlled by the use of bracelets called Gauntlets. Morgana’s magic, however, appears to defy all the usual tests, and those close to her aren't always supportive. When Merlin explains what’s really going on, and offers her an alternative, Morgana’s loyalties are seriously tested.</p><p>Based on Hozier's 'From Eden'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Glimpse of the Future

_Book Cover by Wil1969_

**Prologue: A Glimpse of the Future**

“Hurry, Morgana!”

The corridor the three of them were hurrying down was narrow, dark and cold, and her heartbeat thumping loudly in her ears did little to drown out the sound of moans and soft sobs around her. She grit her teeth and continued on, trying not to think about all the others in here, focusing instead on the two warm hands she was holding; one large and one very small.

The metal bracelet around her wrist buzzed viciously, a timely reminder to keep her emotions under control. She took a deep breath to calm herself whilst her companions' hands gently squeezed hers, attempting to give reassurance.

“Nearly there.”

Finally the trio reached the end of the corridor and rushed through the doorway it into an exceptionally large room where the air felt warmer and the room lighter, despite the power still having not come back on. She took a deep breath which ended in a sigh of relief, even though she knew they weren't safe quite yet. The three of them paused for a moment, trying to get their bearings and allow for their eyes to get used to the small amount of extra light here.

“You know the drill.”

Morgana turned to the tall, young man and nodded her understanding, before giving a reassuring smile to the little boy whose hand she was still holding. One part of her felt a warm rush of affection as she looked at the pair, whilst another part seemed confused, as if trying to work out who they were.

Putting that strange thought to one side, Morgana let go of their hands and moved towards the main door, going over the steps she needed to take to ensure there was no trace of their presence here when Gaius returned to work the following day.

“Why?”

She froze at the sound of the unexpected, but familiar, voice and turned to see her brother step out of the shadows, a look of extreme hurt on his face.

“I had my suspicions,” he said, quietly. “But I never wanted it to be true. Why are you doing this?”

“Arthur... I can explain...” the young man began.

“I trusted you. _Both_ of you. And yet all the time you were plotting against Camelot?”

Morgana shook her head. “I begged you, Arthur and told you this wasn't right, but you were happy to let me keep wearing this...” She lifted her arm. “...prison around my wrist, despite the problems it caused me. You were happy for me to stay in pain.”

“Happy?” He shook his head. “Never that.”

“Merlin showed me another way,” she continued. “A _better_ way.”

Arthur turned sad eyes towards his friend. “I don't understand. I thought you were the most loyal person I knew.”

“I _am_ loyal, Arthur and I never wanted to hurt you but, Morgana's correct, this is all wrong. Uther is wrong. I cannot sit ideally by whilst my people suffer.”

“ _Your_ people?” Arthur asked, incredulously.

Merlin nodded and placed one gentle hand on the boy's shoulder whilst beckoning Morgana back towards him with the other.

“He's just a child,” she said as the small hand found its way back into hers. “And yet he was imprisoned here without trial.”

“He's a unregistered sorcerer,” Arthur replied.

“A child,” she repeated. “This place will be the death of him and the Gauntlet will kill him.”

“Nonsense. We all wear them for our protection.”

“That's not true, Arthur,” Merlin disagreed. “They can kill people. _Innocent_ people. I know that from personal experience. Please let us go. There's no reason for Uther to know that any of us were here tonight.”

Although in truth, with the three of them in this position, her brother's permission was hardly required.

Arthur shook his head sadly. “I have to tell Father some of what happened here. If you leave now you won't be allowed to return.”

“Not yet,” Merlin replied. “But, trust me, I will be back to keep an eye on you.” She felt his amused exhalation of breath on her hair. “You know you won't survive long without me.”

Arthur continued to stare at them, his face full of disappointment and uncertainty until, to her surprise, he gave a firm nod and moved back into the shadows, silently giving his permission for them to go.

She felt herself pulled into an even firmer embrace - the boy still close by her side - before the most amazing burst of warmth and light started to flow through her body; caressing her.

It was magic.

She had no idea it could feel so sensual so... erotic. It started deep within her and rushed outwards, filling her with so much joy and love and....

~o~0~o~

Morgana woke up with a start as an all-too-familiar alarm blared throughout her apartment building. She cried out in dismay as she looked down at dead-looking Gauntlet around her wrist and realised that its usual, bright lights were no longer flickering.

“Oh, no! Not again.” She grabbed for the phone by her bedside and quickly dialled a number. “Come on!” she demanded as it continued to ring.

“Hello?” a sleepy and rather cross voice on the other line begun. “Have you any idea what time it is?”

“Gaius, it's Morgana. You _have_ to help me!”

The voice turned softer. “What is it, child? Is that the magic alarm I can hear?”

“Yes, it happened again. I had this strange dream and must have used magic in my sleep. The Knights will be here soon and my Gauntlet's completely dead. They'll know it's me and... I'll be in _so_ much trouble.”

“Calm down, Morgana it'll be fine. I gave you that exemption letter, remember? Just show that to the Knights when they arrive and I'll be over there as soon as I can.”

“But...”

“What did you dream about?”

“I can't remember much. I know Arthur was there and a small boy and... someone else... It felt...”

“Yes?”

“Like some of those nightmares I've had before. It felt... real.”

“It wasn't an old memory? Or just a very vivid dream?”

“No, I think it was more than that. I didn't even recognise the two dark-haired males although I definitely knew them in the dream.”

“Well, you go and find that letter and I'll be over as soon as possible. We can talk about it more then and I'll fix your Gauntlet. Just do your best to remain calm in the meantime.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Gaius.”

~o~0~o~


	2. Lights and Alarms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gauntlet colours according to the Camelot Institute:
> 
> Red = Negligible Magic. Either none detected or so little as to be of no practical use.
> 
> Gold = The Gauntlet has detected magic. This could be due to having magical relations, or belong to the wearer themselves. Limited ability.
> 
> Green = Definite magical ability. This person should be closely monitored, especially if given this rating whilst young. They could be of great use to society if given the right training.
> 
> Blue = Highly skilled. Of great use to the State just as long as they have the right personality.
> 
> Purple = Full block for dangerous sorcerers and those who commit crimes. Very unpredictable and can cause health issues.

* * *

 

**Two Years Later: Thursday Morning**

Morgana yelped as all the power went off and plunged the laboratory into darkness. She automatically grabbed at the metal band round her wrist, worried it had malfunctioned again when, a few seconds later, the back-up generator kicked in and the lights flickered back on.

"Morgana!"

"It wasn't me that time, Gaius. Look!" She held up her wrist to show the steady flashing green lights on her metal bracelet. "My Gauntlet is fine and I promise I was perfectly calm."

Then the emergency lights started flickering too and the pair looked around nervously before jumping again as the fire alarm blared out.

"I need to check this," Gaius said walking towards the red, 'no unauthorised access' door which Morgana hadn't been allowed near since starting work here last month.

A second, even louder, alarm followed the first.

"What's that?" Morgana shouted over the din. "Is that the magic alarm?"

"Yes," Gaius yelled back. He frowned. "But I'm not sure why it's been activated. I did just cast a spell on that door to make sure it was secure, but the detectors are switched off in here for that very reason."

"So, should we stay here or go?"

"We'd better leave," he replied. "I've done all I can for now."

The two made sure everyone had evacuated the laboratory so that Gaius could close the door after them, locking it both mechanically, digitally and magically before they made their way to the nearest fire escape.

"There," the old man declared. "No one will be able to get through that."

The pair had only just walked out of the fire exit and registered their presence with the computerise security system when Arthur came running over to them.

"What's happening in the lab?" her half-brother demanded.

"Nothing that we know of," Gaius replied. "The power went off and then the alarms started. I made sure everything was triple locked before we left."

"Well, that's good, but you'd better come and see Father as he's convinced it's an attack by Eden."

"Typical," Morgana muttered. Then she saw Uther hurrying over to their position. "Talk of the devil..."

"Why have you left the laboratory unattended?" the head of the Camelot Institute demanded.

"We have to evacuate the building if the Fire Alarm goes off," Gaius replied. "You know that."

"But what if it's a ploy? A diversion to leave our most secure areas unattended?" Uther insisted. "They're going to steal our Gauntlet technology or, even worse..." He looked around nervously and lowered his voice. "... attempt to free our... guests. You  _know_  they've threatened it."

"There's no way they could access that area now," Gaius insisted. "Not with all the locks I've just employed."

"Still, I think we should go back in and check straight away," her father continued. "I will not risk a security breach."

"I'll go to the front of the building and see what I can do," Arthur said. "But I doubt the fire brigade will let us in until they've confirmed it's safe."

Gwen came over carrying a Tablet and handed it wordlessly to Arthur.

"Anyone missing?" Uther asked her. "Any employee not accounted for?"

"No, sir," she replied brightly. "Everyone present and correct."

"But where's Merlin?" Arthur asked. "I thought I put  _him_  in charge of that job."

"You did," Gwen replied. "But he went to talk to the fire chief about the various secure areas."

"Ah, I'm glad  _someone's_  thinking straight," Uther said. "We really shouldn't allow the laboratory to be left unsupervised."

"I'll see what I can do," Arthur repeated before running off towards the front entrance.

Gaius turned his attention back to Morgana as Gwen left on some other errand.

"Let me take a look at that Gauntlet," he said.

"I told you earlier, it definitely wasn't me this time."

"What's this?" Uther asked.

"Well, when the power went in the Lab I did wonder if it was Morgana's... ah, unique situation... causing issues again."

"The power went out?" Uther said. "Why didn't you tell me this?"

Gaius shrugged. "I just assumed it went out in the whole building."

"No, just the fire and magic alarms. Morgana?"

"I promise you it wasn't me," she insisted. "I know when my Gauntlet malfunctions – I can feel it – but this time there was nothing and, look, the Green block is still in place."

"She's right," Gaius confirmed, looking up from his inspection. "Her Gauntlet is functioning perfectly normally."

"Thank you!" she replied, sharply.

Arthur came running back over with a tall, skinny young man a few steps behind him.

"What news, Arthur?" Uther asked.

"I'm sorry..." He paused, out of breath from his run. "I'm afraid it's as you feared."

"What?"

"One of our research subjects has escaped."

~o~0~o~

"Well?" Arthur asked as he entered the laboratory to find Gaius yet again fiddling with the settings on Morgana's Gauntlet.

"I'm at a loss to explain it," he replied. "The door leading to the secure area is undamaged and all the locks - magical and mechanical - were intact when we returned."

"Is there another way out?" Arthur asked. "Perhaps through to the main prison next door?"

"Not without breaking through the magical locks on  _that_  side, no."

"I can't believe no-one told me that we actually hold prisoners here," Morgana complained.

"Father thought you had enough on your plate at the moment," her brother explained. "He was planning on increasing your security level soon though and then we would have explained."

"So  _he_  says."

"What? We're telling you now, aren't we? We could have continued to keep it a secret if we'd wanted."

"But why? Why are we, as a research facility, holding prisoners here?"

"Well, that door actually leads down to a basement wing of the main prison next door," Gaius explained. "But we have access to it because only  _we_  are able to securely hold sorcerers."

"Because we make the Gauntlets?" she guessed.

"And develop them, yes. We need to make sure that those dangerous prisoners have the most up-to-date versions, and we also need to have them close to hand so we can try the different levels out on them."

"And they all wear a the highest possible setting, I assume?"

"Purple, yes, with very few exceptions. It's best we take no chances with those particular criminals."

The old man moved back towards Morgana and started to poke and prod the controls on the Gauntlet. She sighed loudly wondering, yet again, why the devices never seemed to work properly on her.

"Still not got her setting sorted then, Gaius?" Arthur asked as he fully registered the situation.

The scientist huffed as he continued to check the screen in front of him. "I do believe we're getting closer to finding an answer to Morgana's ah... unique situation."

She rolled her eyes behind the old man's back and her brother failed to hide his amusement at her sceptical reaction.

"And to think how much you used to gloat about registering  _no_  magic when we were children," he crowed. "Whilst I had to wear a Gold setting just as soon as I started school."

He waved his right wrist furiously to emphasise the point, causing the yellow lights on the Gauntlet to pulse more rapidly. Apparently, magical anomalies ran in the family, as Arthur had always registered as someone with a small amount of magic even though Gaius had been unable to teach him a single spell.

Morgana shook her head at the casual way her brother treated the annoying gadget. To him it was simply an item you wore to compliment your wristwatch, whilst to her it felt like a ticking time bomb tied to her arm, guaranteed to 'explode' at the most inconvenient time possible.

The standard magical tests continued to insist that she had  _no_  significant magic, despite the block on her Gauntlet often failing when she became emotional. During her frequent nightmares, or during situations where she became scared or excited, it seemed that magic – or something like it – broke through the Gauntlet's block and short-circuited most electrical devices in the immediate area. Each time it happened, Gaius would test her again – confirming the 'no magic' reading – before unsuccessfully trying to teach her the most basic of magical spells. Then, despite the result, he'd often reset the Gauntlet to a higher level even though, some time later, it would 'malfunction' again and Morgana would be subjected to yet more awkward questions and tests.

Uther's initial horror at the suggestion that his daughter might actually have magic, quickly turned to a reluctant acceptance as he realised the advantages of the situation. To Uther, all sorcerers were dangerous and only Gaius and a couple of others had his permission to use magic for the 'greater good'. Having a trusted family member with the ability - someone who could ultimately take over from the old man - made him feel very much more comfortable.

Despite all of this, however, Gaius was still unable to say for certain whether Morgana actually had any magic at all.

"Oh, by the way," Arthur said, just as he was about to leave. "Dad wants to talk security with Gaius tonight which means he can't attend this promotions party. So, I wondered if you'd like to come instead."

She rolled her eyes. "I bet that'll be a laugh a minute."

Her brother grinned. "There'll be free booze."

She shrugged as if still considering the offer, although she had made up her mind already. Anything for a bit of excitement and... normality. Still, she couldn't help wondering why Arthur had apparently made such an effort to ask her instead of someone else.

A small, sly smile spread over her face as she suddenly worked it out.

"Aha!" she crowed.

"What?"

"This party is to promote our Gauntlet research and gain more orders, right?"

"Ah, yes...?"

"Which means it's one of those gatherings where it's usual to bring one's personal assistants along."

"What's your point, Morgana?"

"Well,  _I_  can certainly come," she continued, her grin now wide and unashamed. "But I obviously can't speak for Gwen on such short notice. I'll ask her if she's free though."

"I'm sure I don't mind which member of staff you bring along," Arthur replied, trying and failing to look unconcerned.

"Of  _course_  you mind," Morgana smirked. "You are  _so_  transparent, Arthur. What about you? Who's your current PA? It's so hard to keep track. I'm assuming you've got rid of that dark-haired stick by now."

"Stick? Oh, you mean, Merlin?"

"I think that was his name. The one with the ears."

Arthur smiled slightly. "No, he's still my PA. Didn't you see him running errands for me this afternoon?"

"Not really." She frowned. "You mean, you haven't fired him yet? That's what...? A fortnight?"

Arthur shrugged. "Perhaps a month now."

"Seriously? I thought you couldn't stand him."

"Well it's true that he's very annoying, talks back all the time and is  _totally_  disrespectful," Arthur replied.

"So?"

"He's also quite good at the job... sometimes."

She shook her head, unconvinced. Only the brightest and the best made it through both the security and the interview process, and Arthur was notoriously picky about his assistants. For this one to have lasted a month was very unusual.

"So, I'll pick you up at seven-thirty?" her brother continued, heading towards the door once again.

She shrugged again. "All right. I'll see you then."

"All right, Morgana," Gaius said, brandishing a small metal pen as he approached her once again. "Let's try a new setting on this Green level and see if it works better for you."

She held out her wrist to him and raised her eyes to the ceiling. "Knock yourself out."

**Thursday Afternoon**

"Are you  _sure_  it's all right for me to go to this party?" Gwen asked Morgana as the two headed into town to shop for the evening ahead.

"What? But of course it is. That's the whole point."

"The whole point of what?"

Morgana smiled, realising that her assistant  _still_  didn't know how her brother felt about her.

"I was just worried it might be a bit short notice for you," she continued.

"My social life is not exactly buzzing at the moment," Gwen replied.

"I know the feeling," Morgana countered. "So, do you have any idea why this current assistant of Arthur's is still working for him?"

Gwen beamed at her. "Oh, you mean Merlin?"

Morgana turned to stare at the young woman, who she was already viewing as one of her closest friends, surprised by her sudden bright tone of voice. "What's he like?" she asked. "I've had other things on my mind recently, as you know."

"Oh, Merlin's  _adorable,_ " Gwen replied.  _"_ Everyone loves him."

Morgana scoffed. "Seriously? And you're telling me that Arthur finds him... adorable?"

She giggled. "Well, I'm not sure about that, but Merlin is actually a very difficult person to dislike. He gets along with everyone and everyone gets along with him."

Morgana rolled her eyes. "Sounds like just the sort of person who would end up really annoying me."

Gwen grinned. "You'll see what I mean when you meet him properly tonight." She pointed to another shop. "Shall we try in here?"

~o~0~o~

"I hate this stupid Gauntlet," Morgana complained as she surveyed her reflection in the changing room mirror. "How is one suppose to go for a look which says, 'sexy, yet refined,' when you've got bright lights permanently flashing around your wrist."

"It's the same for everyone though," Gwen countered.

"Yeah, and can't you just tell that a man invented this. Gaudy primary colours and a brightness level that wouldn't be out of place on a lighthouse. Ridiculous."

"Well, you're working in Gauntlet development now," Gwen said. "Why don't you suggest a change to something more subtle?"

Morgana just scoffed. "As if anyone would listen to me. Still, it might not be quite so bad if mine didn't have to keep changing colour every couple of weeks."

Gwen frowned. "I can imagine. How are you coping with that Green setting?"

"I'm feeling a bit light-headed, but not as bad as when I first got moved up to Yellow." She finally got to look more closely at her friend. "Oh, I like that dress, Gwen. It really suits you."

"Thanks." She gave Morgana a cheeky smile. "You don't think it clashes too much with the flashing yellow lights then?"

Morgana smiled, fondly. "You are a saint to put up with all my complaining. Come on, let's pay for these and get ourselves home. I intend to have a nice long bath and then get  _very_  drunk tonight."

~o~0~o~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time. Chapter 2: A Business Party. Morgana gets to meet Merlin properly. (Due Sunday 9th August 2015)


	3. A Business Party

** **

 

**Thursday Evening**

Despite her declaration to get seriously drunk, Morgana knew she needed to pace herself tonight. This soiree was important to the company and, as much as her job often frustrated her, it wouldn't do her any favours to misbehave. And then, as if to add insult to injury, just a few sips of champagne had her feeling uncharacteristically woozy. Wouldn't it be just her luck to find that this new setting would prevent her from even getting a little bit tipsy. 

Her Gauntlet buzzed like an angry wasp and she fiddled with it, trying to scratch at the skin underneath, annoyed by the sensation.

“What's wrong?” Gwen asked.

“I really don't like what Gaius did to this today,” she replied. “It itches.” 

“I'm not sure I've ever heard of it doing that, have you?”

“Not exactly, but I know the side effects tend to increase the higher the block becomes and, as you know, my reactions have always been unusual. Oh look, there's Arthur.”

“And Merlin.”

Gwen's expression had suddenly brightened and Morgana smirked at the reaction.

_'Poor Arthur. He likes Gwen but Gwen likes Merlin and, seeing he's barely taken his eyes off me since he walked into the room, I'm fairly certain that Merlin's got a crush on me.'_

The idea simply amused Morgana, used as she was to having young men fawn over her on a regular basis, and Merlin really didn't interest her in a romantic way. Anyway, she already had more than enough hassles in her life, and those sort of relationships had never been that high on her list of priorities, even before all this Gauntlet stuff had added an extra layer of complication.

She looked at the young man more closely, trying to work out what it was that so intrigued Arthur and Gwen. He was tall – perhaps slightly more so than her brother - although the fact he slouched most of the time made that fact less obvious. He wasn't conventionally handsome, but further scrutiny revealed him to be attractive nonetheless; something about his look making her think he would be one of those people who always photographed well.

“Damn!” The Gauntlet buzzed viciously again and she fiddled with it, frustrated.

“A problem?”

She glanced up to find the young man in question standing much closer than she expected whilst looking curiously at her wrist, head tipped.

“I'm testing a new setting,” she replied promptly. “But I don't think it's working.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It's been playing up every since I first stepped foot in here.”

“Probably something in the room interfering it,” he replied promptly.

“Perhaps, although I've never heard of that happening before.”

Merlin shrugged and turned around to look for Arthur who was now approaching their position. Morgana used the young man's distraction as an excuse to check his Gauntlet and noticed he wore a Red setting - indicating no magic - with its lights hardly flashing at all, which seemed especially unusual for this sort of environment.

She found herself momentarily envious, wishing her own Gauntlet would behave so calmly.

“You still fussing with that thing, Morgana?” Arthur said offhandedly, whilst throwing Gwen a very obvious, charming smile.

“All very well for you to scoff, Squirt. Aren't you supposed to be working the room or something?”

“Well, I _have_ been, but I need you to come along and talk to this Japanese group about our latest Gauntlets, if you can stop fiddling with _yours_ for more than five seconds.”

Morgana shrugged and followed her brother over to the party in question, where she attempted to use her knowledge of Gaius' latest modifications to impress the buyers and convince them to purchase their versions rather than that of their rivals.

~o~0~o~

“You're very good at that, Morgana,” Merlin said afterwards, as the four moved towards the bar.

“She can turn on the charm well enough when she wants to,” Arthur replied, rather dismissively.

“Charm?” She scoffed. “That was all talent, I'd have you know. I've not been working in Gaius' department all this time without having learnt _something_.”

Merlin grinned and Gwen giggled.

“If you say so,” Arthur replied.

“A bit of both, perhaps?” Gwen suggested. “I know all those facts too, but it was the way you presented them. It was very good.”

She gave her friend a gentle smile. “Thank you.”

“Well, I'm pretty certain we have their business now,” Arthur continued. “Which was Father's main aim for this evening, I think. In fact, I'd say we've earned ourselves a break. Let's take these drinks and find a quiet alcove somewhere, shall we?”

So the four sat down and started to talk and Morgana was surprised at just how quickly the time flew by. Arthur could be quite entertaining when he wasn't constantly worrying about his ego and living up to Uther's expectations, and Gwen was the same when she relaxed enough to not be concerned about what everyone else was thinking about her. In this social environment, Morgana also became more aware of the part of Merlin's personality that Gwen had hinted about. He teased Arthur almost constantly - her brother giving as good as he got – and, whilst both young men appeared offended on the surface, it was quite obvious that they were loving every minute of the banter.

Gwen looked over at her, an eyebrow raised in amusement, and she nodded her understanding. Merlin was definitely far more than he first appeared and it seemed that her brother had finally met his match. She was no longer confused as to why he had held the job for so long.

In-between teasing Arthur, Merlin continued to throw intense looks in Morgana's direction and she surprised herself by subtly encouraging him, smiling back and laughing just a little too loudly at his jokes. She doubted Arthur would even notice, although Gwen was another matter entirely. Morgana realised she'd have to talk to her friend very soon and reassure her that she really wasn't interested in Merlin that way.

“So, the rumour going around is that today wasn't a scheduled fire drill but a bomb scare instead,” Gwen said.

“Bomb scare?” Arthur replied. “Where did _that_ come from?”

“Rumours about the terrorist group, Eden, I heard.” Merlin supplied.

“I'd really hoped that that gossip wouldn't be spread around,” Arthur replied with a sigh.

“So?” Gwen asked. “Was it them?”

Arthur sighed. “Probably.”

“And what actually happened?” she continued. “I mean, other than all the alarms going off?”

“It looks like they took.... something.” He exchanged a nervous look with Morgana. “I probably shouldn't say any more than that.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, because apparently Camelot is full of their spies and we don't know who we can trust.”

“What is it they want, exactly?” Gwen asked.

“Freedom from the Gauntlets I hear,” Merlin replied.

“It makes no sense,” Arthur complained. “We wear them for everyone's safety. Our own and other people's.”

“Yeah, it feels a bit different when they don't work,” Morgana mumbled.

“But I don't see what Uther thinks _you_ can do about it,” Merlin said. “All employees have their magic re-checked when they join the company and there are detectors everywhere which will go off if even the smallest spell is used.”

“Unless of course Eden have those _without_ magic spying for them,” Gwen suggested.

“That would be no use at all,” Morgana responded. “Seeing all the most secure areas of Camelot are also magically locked.”

“Which is why it's close to impossible to know for sure,” Arthur said. “Unless they start openly talking about snakes and apples.”

“Snakes and apples?” Gwen asked.

“Eden...” Merlin said. “You know... secret code words?”

Gwen laughed. “I'd imagine they'd be rather more subtle than that.”

 **Friday Morning**  

“So, how did it go last night?” Uther asked Morgana and Arthur the following morning.

“Very well,” Arthur replied. “We had definite promises from the Texan and Japanese contingents, and I think at least three others seemed to be coming down on our side.”

“The New South Wales group too, I'm certain,” Morgana added.

“Oh?” Arthur asked, “I wasn't so sure about them.”

She shrugged. “I just got the feeling they were more impressed than they let on.”

She had a sense about these things sometimes, a type of intuition.

“Well, that _is_ good news,” Uther said. “Hopefully our sales won't suffer too much from my absence.”

Arthur and Morgana exchanged a frustrated glance. Arthur had quite rightly called on Morgana to persuade that Japanese contingent last night and if Arthur - who had considerably more charm than his father - hadn't been able to convince those elderly men to buy from them, it was highly unlikely Uther would have faired any better.

“I believe it was success,” Arthur continued. “Hopefully the formal orders will come in very soon.”

“Good, good,” their father replied offhandedly. “What about your Gauntlet, Morgana? Has Gaius figured it out yet?”

“This new setting appears to be working,” she lied.

“Well, that _is_ a relief. Now, Arthur, what did Gaius say about yesterday's incident?”

“I'm afraid it's a dead-end. All the power went out in and around the laboratory and there's nothing of interest on any of the cameras – nothing to indicate that anyone even came in that way. When Gaius arrived back, all the doors were securely triple locked just as he had left them.”

“We must have spies here then,” Uther pushed. “People who know our codes and systems.”

“But not ones with magic strong enough to pull off such a feat,” Morgana said. “And everyone was accounted for yesterday, remember?”

“But we have magical defences guarding those cells,” Uther continued. “How could that prisoner have escaped without some alert going off?”

“Well the magical alarms _did_ go off,” Arthur added. “But they went off everywhere which means it's impossible to track any possible intruders.”

“I still can't think why members of Eden would be here, in Camelot,” Morgana said. “Surely they'd keep away when they know how severe the consequences are.”

“They're here to free their compatriots and sabotage our research,” Uther said. “And that cannot be allowed to continued. To have unregistered sorcerers walking amongst us is unthinkable. We have to ensure that our programme works and that everyone is kept safe.”

There was little more that could be said really. It should have been impossible for a Purple prisoner to escape their facility and yet it had happened; the first since the new security system had been set up a year ago. Uther instructed Arthur to continue to look into it but, as the siblings left the room, the young man admitted that he had no idea where to start.

“Have this Eden lot even been in touch?” she asked her brother. “Have they given their demands?”

“None directly to us, just the usual spiel about freeing all sorcerers by banning compulsory magic testing and the wearing of Gauntlets.”

“Perhaps it's time to start a dialogue with them, see if a compromise can be found.”

“Seriously, Morgana? How can we even contemplate changing this system when it works so well.”

“Really? You honestly believe that this...” She lifted her wrist. “... is the _best_ solution we can come up with?”

“What's the alternative? Sorcerers running free? All that power let lose on the world with no-one to control or moderate it?”

“You think _this_ controls it?”

“I know there are still a few issues with the Gauntlet and I know it doesn't fully detect _your_ levels - or mine, for that matter - but it does works in _most_ cases and that is definitely better than nothing.”

“But the hypocrisy, Arthur? We have this system set up to control and restrict sorcerers and yet Uther happily employs Gaius as a Blue?”

“Because he knows we can't fight evil magicians without having one on our side. The whole point is control. If a strong magician shows that he, or she, is willing to wear the Gauntlet and is only interested in using magic for the greater good then, like Gaius, they'll be allowed the freedom to cast any spell they chose.”

“Perhaps.”

“But if we took those Gauntlets away, then what? Anyone with magical ability and evil intent would be free to wreak havoc on the world, and evil organisations like Eden would quickly take control. There has to be some system in place, surely you see that?”

“I suppose.” She sighed. “I suppose the fact that my Gauntlet doesn't work for me has clouded my judgement. To me this band might as well be a handcuff. It causes me pain and discomfort most of the time and then, for no reason, something happens anyway, despite the fact it's supposed to block all forms of instinctive magic.”

“It's unfortunate that you have had to go through that,” Arthur said with a frown. “I know that you and a rare few others have not easily been assessed, but I still say that having the system work for ninety-nine percent of the population is better than having no control at all.”

Morgana sighed loudly. “I suppose.”

He smiled broadly. “But last night was a great success.”

“It was,” she agreed. “And I admit that I thoroughly enjoyed myself.”

Arthur laughed. “I noticed. Merlin was flirting with you outrageously.”

She feigned surprise. “What?”

“Oh, come on, I _know_ you saw it. And you were encouraging him.”

“I was not.”

“Oh, you _were_ , Sis, that much was obvious. Go easy on him though, won't you? The boy really hasn't got a clue and, as much as he annoys me, I'd hate to have his heart broken.”

“You would?”

He shrugged. “Of course. How would he get any work done?”

She glared at her brother. “Actually, he is kind of cute.”

“What?”

“And I was actually thinking about asking him out.”

“What!”

“I mean... have you seen the size of his hands and feet?”

Arthur frowned. “What's that got to do with anything?”

She smirked. “Oh, you know? Big feet, big-”

“-Morgana!”

“Seriously. I think that, despite his unique looks, Merlin could well be worth my interest.”

“You wouldn't?”

“Why not?”

“But...”

She smirked again. Honestly, it would be well worth asking Merlin out on a date just to annoy her brother.

~o~0~o~ 

“Ah, there you are, Morgana,” Gaius said, barely looking at her as he focused on his computer screen. “How's that new setting?”

“Itchy,” she replied.

“Sorry?”

“It drove me nuts last night,” she continued. “Kept tingling and buzzing all through that party.”

Gaius looked over at her properly and frowned. “I can't see why it would do that,” he said, coming over to inspect it. “A higher colour might make you feel dizzy or even lethargic if the setting is incorrect, but it certainly shouldn't itch.”

“Well, it did,” she grumbled. “A constant little buzzing sound as if someone was whispering to me.”

“Really?” Gaius paused and looked at her, suddenly more interested. “Where was this?”

“At Uther's promotional party last night.”

“And it was like that all the time?”

Morgana frowned, as if not having considered that question before. “I noticed it soon after I arrived, but I suppose it was more annoying near the start of the evening. I think perhaps the alcohol dulled the sensation later on?”

Gaius nodded. “Perhaps. You were there with Arthur and your personal assistants?”

“Yes?”

“Well then, if you would sit down here, I'll just make sure there's nothing out of the ordinary.”

She sighed. “Great! At the rate I'm going you'll be putting me up to Purple and locking me away in one of those cells.”

“No need to worry about that,” he replied firmly. “That is only for those who have committed a crime or who refuse to cooperate, neither of which applies to you, and I'm quite sure we'll have this sorted very soon.”

 

~o~0~o~


	4. Not a Date

**Friday Afternoon**

Once he'd made a few more adjustments to her Gauntlet, Gaius allowed Morgana to get on with her work, although he did regularly interrupt her to ask her how she felt.

This afternoon she was taking an inventory of all Camelot's Gauntlets in their various stages of manufacture. She counted how many bare bracelets, half-finished and complete models were currently here under lock and key and compared the figures to last month's.

"Well?" Gaius asked her later.

"We appear to be two short."

"Perhaps you should recount, just to be certain."

She rolled her eyes. "I have – twice. Perhaps the mistake was made  _last_  month?"

"Such a small number is indeed likely to be human error," Gaius said. "But you know Uther will not see it that way. Not after yesterday's incident."

She sighed. "I should count them again then?"

"No, that's fine. You get off. I'm sure a young lady like you has better things to do on a Friday evening."

"I wish," she mumbled as she collected up her belongings.

She was just about to leave the laboratory when Merlin walked in, rather out of breath, looking as if he'd just sprinted across the building.

"Gaius, I was just wondering... Oh, hello, Morgana, you're still here. Good."

"You were looking for  _me_?" she asked.

"Well for both of you really. I thought you might like to go out for a drink."

She raised an eyebrow. "The three of us?"

"What?" He frowned at her, confused, before belatedly catching on. "Oh no, I see what you mean." He laughed nervously. "No, I'm here to see Gaius about... something else. It was  _you_  I wanted to go out with."

She raised an eyebrow. "Go out with?"

"Ah..." His cheeks turned a sudden bright pink. "Yes?"

"Are you sure that's wise, Morgana," Gaius interrupted, his gaze not leaving the screen in front of him. "You know... considering your... issues."

Having just decided to turn Merlin down, this comment inevitably had Morgana change her mind. "I refuse to lock myself up in my room simply because you can't figure my Gauntlet out, Gaius," she snapped. "I already feel enough of a prisoner as it is."

"That's not really what I-"

"I'd  _love_  to go out for a drink with you, Merlin," she answered brightly. "How about tonight?"

"Ah yes... that was what I'd hoped you'd say. I thought the Red Lion hotel? It's quite nice there but... casual, you know, and so..."

"Sounds great." She smiled at him. "I'll see you there at eight."

And, with barely a backwards glance, Morgana continued her journey out of the laboratory.

"Bother," she mumbled under her breath. She really hadn't meant to say yes and it was only now that she remembered the other reason why she'd promised herself not to get involved with Merlin. Gwen. With a big sigh, she sent her friend a quick text message and waited for her in the entrance hall.

"Hello, Morgana, what is it?" her friend asked.

"I think I may have made a mistake," she said.

"What? Do you need me to stay late and fix something."

"No, not  _that_  sort of mistake. You can get off home and enjoy your weekend."

"Well I've still got some work to do yet but... what was it then?"

"Merlin asked me out."

A very brief look of disappointment was just as quickly hidden by a bright smile. "Oh, he did? Well, I can't say I'm surprised. He could hardly take his eyes off you last night."

"I noticed. I also noticed that you were much the same with him."

She shrugged. "He's really sweet and... well, I've dropped enough hints these last few weeks, but I really don't think he likes me in that way."

"It's just... I said yes without really thinking. I'm not even sure  _why_  I did, to be honest. But, you see, Gaius was being a nuisance and-"

"-Morgana, it's fine," Gwen interrupted with a smile. "It was quite obvious how he feels about you. Go out and enjoy yourself. As you said last night, you need all the distractions you can get right now."

"That's true and, despite Gaius' concerns, I doubt I've really got anything to worry about."

She frowned. "Worry about?"

"Well, you see, so far, my Gauntlet has only malfunctioned when I've been especially emotional. At first the nightmares and more recently if I got really angry."

"Ah, I see?"

"And it's also over-reacted if I get... excited in other ways. So Gaius was concerned by the fact that Merlin and I might be going on a… romantic date."

"Ah, and you're not?"

She scoffed. "Hardly."

"Well, your loss," Gwen continued with a grin. "But he does make an excellent friend and he's a really good listener so I suppose that'll be good for you anyway."

"Maybe, but then I have  _you_  for that."

She smiled again. "Just have a nice evening, Morgana and don't worry about me."

"Thank you, Gwen. You really are a very good friend."

"Just remember that when you're deciding on my Christmas bonus," she quipped as she turned and headed back to her office.

Morgana laughed and headed out of the office to get ready for her... date? She shook her head and sighed.

_'Honestly. What was I thinking?'_

**Friday Evening**

A hotel bar was a good choice, she realised. Just a little more classy than a typical pub but not as formal as a cinema or restaurant might be. It meant she could simply wear her favourite black jeans with a loose-fitting, dark top and not concern herself too much with colours.

She sighed as the Gauntlet caught the light and flashed its obnoxious green.

"Yeah, why don't you just advertise my magic to everyone," she mumbled.

"Hello, Morgana. I'm not too late, am I?"

"Hi, Merlin. No, I only arrived five minutes ago myself. I got myself a drink, I hope you don't mind."

He simply grinned, in lieu of a reply, before heading to the bar to get his own and then returning to sit opposite her, still smiling. "You look lovely," he declared.

She shook her head. "Don't waste your breath, Merlin. I'm just out with you as a friend. No need to try to impress."

He looked confused and perhaps a little hurt. "I was only telling the truth. You  _do_  look lovely, but then you always do."

She shook her head and then winced as her Gauntlet buzzed again.

"Tell me about that," he said suddenly. "What's the deal?"

For some strange reason, she found herself answering his question with none of her usual reticence about the subject.

"I was assigned Red when I was five," she began. "As none of the tests could detect the slightest bit of magic in me. Then, around the age of thirteen, I started to have these really bad dreams. At first no-one thought it had anything to do with magic, but it wasn't long before I'd be woken up by a loud bang to find that none of the lights were working."

Merlin nodded. "You  _did_  have magic and it broke through your Gauntlet and short-circuited everything in the room?"

"Yes, that tends to be my 'thing'."

He nodded again. "That's not unusual. Although it  _is_  unusual for the magic not to have been picked up before."

"Yes. It was strong enough to push through the Red setting and then, a few years later, it did exactly the same thing with the Yellow." She looked up at him with a smile. "But you're Red, so you don't have to worry about such things."

"My tests showed no indication of magic either," he replied without looking at her. "None at all."

"Any history within your family?"

"Actually, yes."

"Really? That usually means you'll end up Yellow."

"Like Gwen, yes. But it doesn't appear to be showing in me."

"Well, count yourself lucky."

"Perhaps. Still, as you and Arthur know, the Gauntlets are not one hundred percent accurate. They miss a few people and misdiagnose a number of others."

"Yes," Morgana agreed. "That's the main thing I'm working on with Gaius, in fact. Trying to make them more reliable."

"Yes, he's called me in for tests too."

"He has? Why?"

Merlin shrugged. "To see why I'm not showing my father's magic."

"Oh. Was he strong?"

" _Very_  strong. He registered as Blue – the same as Gaius."

"Really?"

Merlin grinned. "Interesting, isn't it?"

"But you seem so relaxed about it." She held up her right wrist. "What's your opinion on these?"

He frowned. "I believe better ways could be found. I think the Gauntlets can actually be dangerous for some people."

"Really?"

She had quickly forgotten any awkwardness about this supposed date and how she or Gwen felt about Merlin. Now she was totally engrossed in this conversation and was certain there was very much more going on than appeared on the surface. She replayed some of his comments again, wondering what it was she'd missed.

"So, where is your father now?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Missing."

"He didn't co-operate with the authorities?"

Merlin's mood had changed. He was masking it well but she could see some tension had appeared – could hear it in his voice. "I believe he didn't like the offer that was made to him."

"And?"

He shrugged and didn't reply, changing the subject instead. "So, you keep fiddling with that Gauntlet of yours. Why?"

"It itches."

"Not supposed to do that though, is it?"

"No."

"Can I take a look?"

"You? What would  _you_  know about it?"

He smiled slightly, holding out his hand and, without thinking about it, Morgana offered him her wrist.

"One theory is that some people have magic which is... different," Merlin said as he rolled the Gauntlet around her wrist and studied it intently. "So they register as having no magic when it's quite obvious that they have plenty."

"Yes," she replied. "That describes my situation very well. I definitely have used magic – albeit subconsciously."

"And has Gaius tried to teach you how to use it properly?"

"Yes, but I've not been able to do anything on demand."

Merlin nodded. "That doesn't surprise me."

"What are you saying?" she asked, leaning forwards even more. "What do you know?"

"A few things. I have some... friends who could perhaps help."

Her eyes widened. "Friends?"

"Another drink?" he replied, rather too quickly, letting go of her wrist as if it were hot.

"Yes please." She paused, her mind racing as she wondered how far she could push this. "I'll have vodka and  _apple_  juice please."

He stopped and stared at her, his expression wary. "Apple?"

"Yes, please," she replied, brightly.

He looked at her for a few more seconds before turning towards the bar and Morgana smirked. Yes, that had done it. He'd  _definitely_  reacted to that word.

"So, talking of  _apples_..." she said a few minutes later as he put the drink in front of her.

"Y-yes?"

"I wondered if you'd heard anything about this Eden group? I mean, something more than the rumours Uther's putting about."

"And you're curious because... you've not had the best of experiences in that regard?"

"Yes, and because I'd hardly get a balance view from inside Camelot."

He nodded. "Although this is a dangerous conversation to be having at the moment."

"Perhaps, although I don't think there's any problem with talking about such things... hypothetically."

His lips twitched. "Hypothetically. I see."

"What other system do they have set up?" she asked enthusiastically, taking his pause as permission to continue.

"From what I've heard, it's more a matter of learning to control ones magic yourself, without the need for a Gauntlet."

"Really? Isn't that dangerous?"

He shook his head. "Not with the right training."

"And who gives this training?" she pushed. "It would have to be a powerful sorcerer, yes?"

"More than one... I understand."

"And Uther's theory about spies within Camelot?"

Merlin only reply was to scoff. Of course, if there  _were_  people like him around - spies with no magic - then they weren't in any real danger and could simply pass information back to the group. Morgana was now dying to ask exactly what his role was in all this, but knew it wasn't a good idea. Anyway, she was fairly certain she had her answer already. It seemed obvious to her that Merlin  _was_  part of this group in one way or another and she was determined to find out as much as she could. Perhaps Eden's sorcerers could help her in ways that Gaius had not been able to.

They lapsed into silence for a while and Morgana was convinced it was the end of the dangerous conversation, but apparently Merlin had simply been contemplating whether or not to continue.

"Do you know what happens to sorcerers who refuse to wear a Gauntlet?" He asked the question so quietly it was almost a whisper.

"They are immediately considered criminals," she answered promptly. "And, if caught, are made to wear a Purple setting."

"And do you know what that does to most sorcerers?"

"Nothing good. Dizzy if they're lucky, but sometimes it can make them really sleepy - almost comatose."

"And there is talk of magical prisoners being kept in Camelot itself, rather than the prison next door."

"Yes," she answered, with no hesitation or concern about confirming the rumour. "All of them powerful sorcerers who have been caught using magic deliberately and who couldn't be controlled conventionally."

"No, not all of them," he disagreed. "Some are simply Red or Yellow, or members of Eden who have refused to wear the Gauntlet for one reason or another, even if they have negligible magic."

She frowned at that. "I do know Gaius is also looking into the negative effects of the Purple setting. He's trying to improve that too."

"I'm sure he is. The death rate is quite unacceptable."

"Death rate?" She almost shouted the question.

"Shh... yes. Uther likes to keep  _that_  one quiet, of course."

She fingered her Gauntlet nervously. "What about the lower settings?"

He nodded. "A Green or Blue setting can be a problem if put on certain Red or Yellows. It's not always guaranteed, of course, but that's only because of the same reason they can't assess you. Not everyone's magic is the same and not everyone's magic is accurately measurable."

"But..." About three questions appeared in Morgana's head at the same time and she was struggling to decide which one to ask.

"Perhaps we should change the subject," Merlin said. "Date or not, we really should try to have more fun than this on a Friday night, don't you think?"

She nodded, thinking she had more than enough information for the time being. "Better make the next drink a double then."

~o~0~o~


	5. The Knights Ride Again

**Friday Night**

The evening passed very pleasantly and Merlin, gentleman as he was, offered to walk Morgana home. If she hadn't been so engrossed in their current conversation she would have probably turned him down but, seeing how much she was enjoying her evening, she decided to accept. Even then, she was surprised at just how quickly they arrived at her apartment building.

So, instead of saying goodbye at the front door, they were already into the hallway and halfway up the stairs before she checked herself. No, he was most definitely  _not_  coming in for 'coffee'. She stood firmly in front of the door to her flat and smiled brightly at him.

"Thank you, Merlin, I've had a lovely evening."

"Me too. Could we perhaps go out for another drink sometime?"

"Yes, I'd really like that," she replied, honestly.

He'd moved towards her before she had fully registered his intention and, assuming he was aiming for her lips, turned her head to offer her cheek instead. However, for one reason or another, their lips ended up touching anyway. Now nicely tipsy on vodka and a little high from her very enjoyable evening, Morgana gave up any notion of objecting, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

That's when all the building's lights short-circuited and the magic alarm went off.

~o~0~o~

She pulled away and blinking as her eyes attempted to adjust to the sudden darkness. This time it definitely  _had_  been her.

"Quickly, let's go inside your flat," Merlin said, trying to open her locked door.

"I really don't think that's a good idea." Her heart was racing and she was close to panic. "Oh, the Knights will be on their way now and I just don't know how I'm going to explain it this time and-"

"-Morgana, you  _have_  to trust me. We really need to get inside so they don't know for certain where the magic came from."

"But..."

He opened the door and pulled her in, whilst she stared numbly at the keys in her hand which she most definitely had  _not_  used.

"Okay, so the power is out in here too," Merlin said as he tried the light switch. "Looks like you shorted the whole building which is good news."

She gaped at him, incredulously. "How do you work that one out?"

"Having it widespread will make it far harder for the Knights to detect the exact location of the magical event."

"But I'm going to be in  _so_  much trouble."

"Morgana relax. Let's take a look at your Gauntlet."

She held it up. "Oh no, it's dead! No lights at all. They'll come checking all the flats and it'll be obvious it's me and then they'll have to put me up to Blue... or perhaps even Purple and then..."

"You  _must_  let me see it." Merlin said, grabbing her wrist and looking at it intently. Then he closed his eyes and focused.

"Merlin? What are you doing?"

"Ssh."

"But..."

"Bother, this is no good," Merlin complained. "I can't work properly with this horrible thing on."

And then, to Morgana's total shock, he pressed his left hand against his own Gauntlet until it clicked open, before removing it and placing it on the table.

"But... you're not supposed to do that," she gasped. "Only a Blue sorcerer is able to remove a Gauntlet."

He ignored her, moving her closer to the window where there was a little more light and lifting her wrist up. He again focused, closing his eyes until, with a vicious little buzz, her Gauntlet flickered back to life, flashing red.

Merlin opened his eyes and gave a satisfied nod. However, seconds later, a siren sounding from outside had him swear under his breath.

"I can't believe they're here already. That was annoyingly quick."

"I can't show Red," she complained. "I'm registered as Green."

"Yes, I know. Give me a moment."

Merlin again focused on her Gauntlet and the lights started to change from red through yellow to green, finally settling on blue. He held up a hand before she had a chance to complain again.

"Just one last trick," he said. Best to keep you on Blue whilst you're still emotional because we don't want to risk your exposure, but I'll make it look as if it's Green so the Knights won't question it."

"But how, Merlin? How are you able to do this?"

"The questions will have to wait, Morgana and you'll need to sit down too, because that higher setting is likely to make you feel a bit dizzy."

"Yeah..." she said swaying almost as soon as he moved back to the table to retrieve his own Gauntlet. "Definitely."

Just as soon as Merlin had snapped it back on his wrist there was a knock on the door and he rushed over to answer it.

"Ah, you're here," he said brightly. "That was quick."

Morgana couldn't believe how calm he sounded.

"Do you live here, sir?" the Knight asked, looking at the tablet in front of him.

"No, I'm just visiting." He held out his wrist to the man. "My name's Merlin."

The man quickly scanned his Gauntlet, checked the readings and nodded, whilst Morgana got up slowly and worried how it might look with her quite so unsteady on her feet.

"Sorry, a bit too much vodka," she improvised before offering her wrist and holding her breath.

"Green," the man said. "Are you aware of any magic you may have cast tonight?"

"No, sir. It was all very quiet here until the lights went off."

"Well yes, your Gauntlet is working fine so... you're obviously in the clear." He grinned broadly and she forced herself to smile back. "Goodnight, I promise we'll have the power back on just as soon as we've completed our checks."

"All right, thank you," Merlin called out. He turned to Morgana wide-eyed and let out a loud sigh. "Well, that was close."

She glared at him. "And  _you_  have some questions to answer."

"I suppose I do. Probably best to wait until they've gone though, just in case. In the meantime I suggest you lie down and try to relax."

"Don't think you're getting away with it that easily."

"I promise I'm not going anywhere, Morgana. But, seriously, we both need to relax after that." He looked around the flat. "May I use your bathroom?"

~o~0~o~

By the time the Knights had checked all the residents' Gauntlets, fixed the power and reset the magic detector, it was gone one o'clock in the morning, but there was no way that Morgana was going to let Merlin go without explaining what had happened that evening.

They sat down on the sofa with a cup of coffee each, Merlin biting his lip as he wondered where to start.

"So, you  _do_  have magic," she begun.

"Yes."

"You lied."

"No, I said that no magic had been detected, which is true. My magic is like yours, Morgana, it doesn't register."

She glared at him, annoyed by the sophistry. "So why are you still wearing a Red Gauntlet?"

"Because I was fortunate enough not to lose control when I was growing up, and have now developed the ability to evade most of the systems that are put in place to detect sorcerers."

"So, you should be Blue like your father?"

He shook his head. "There's a reason why the system can't register us, Morgana."

"Why?"

Because they don't have a setting high enough."

She shook her head. "But Gaius says I'm Green."

"He's wrong. You're like me. And we call our level Silver."

"We?" she asked suspiciously. "You mean Eden, don't you?" He winced. "I promise I won't tell."

There was another, very long, pause. "All right then. Yes. Mum moved me to one of their sanctuaries as soon as she realised what I was."

"Sanctuaries? Where?"

"Probably best I don't tell you  _that_  quite yet."

She glared at him. "You don't trust me?"

"I want to. Really I do, but there are a lot of lives at stake here. I have to be careful."

"I suppose." There was a long pause. "So, did you have anything to do with Thursday's incident?"

He looked down at his lap, a small smile playing on his lips. "Ah... perhaps."

"How? How did you manage it? I saw you during the fuss and you were also registered on the system as having left the building."

"I told you, I'm Silver."

"That's not an answer."

"It is when you understand how different that is from Blue."

" _How_  is it different?"

He shook his head. "Look, the main reason I've revealed myself to you at all is so that I can help you. You have now pushed past a Green setting and, if left to your own devices, will almost certainly push past Blue too. The only way for you to deal with your Gauntlet problem is to learn to control your magic yourself."

"And you're going to teach me?"

"I don't think there's anyone else who can. Gaius is a good teacher but he only understands Blue magic and this is something very different."

"Why?  _Why_  are we different?"

He shrugged again. "Who knows but, with our high levels of magic, we  _can_  make a difference."

"By freeing all the dangerous sorcerers in the Camelot vaults?" she asked, sceptically.

"No, just those whose lives are in danger or who have been unfairly imprisoned."

"And what's Eden's interest in our Gauntlet research?"

"Uther's only partially right about that. As a rule we have little interest in Gauntlets as we don't believe they can work, simply because magic levels are not fully understood. Arthur's also right in that they can be of use for  _some_  people and we do think they could be adapted even though, in most cases, there is a much easier way."

"Just teach sorcerers how to use magic properly?"

"Yes."

"And me? Will it be easy to teach me?"

"It's not the teaching I'm worried about, but rather all the practising you'll have to do. Silvers are very rare but those we do know of have been discovered when very young - like me - and it's very much easier to teach children how to control it. Add to that the fact that you work inside Camelot itself and that makes it especially difficult to train you without alerting someone."

"So?"

"I'll give you one small lesson here tonight, if you're up for it, and then you can come to my place. I've got it set up so it's... less dangerous."

If it had been anyone other than Merlin suggesting that, Morgana might have suspected an ulterior motive but, as it was, she simply nodded and held out her wrist. "Where do we start?"

"Firstly I'm going to lower the setting and then give you something to test your power. The key is where you focus your attention. Don't try to hold it in and  _don't_  focus on your Gauntlet. Instead I want you to aim your power at me."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, one hand hovering over her Gauntlet. "I'll be able to absorb it, at least for this one small experiment. I'll see what happens with that first before I decide what to do next." He closed his eyes and then nodded. "Okay, that's down to about Yellow."

"It's still showing Green."

"Yes, I know. Now, remember what I said, Morgana. When you start feeling something, push it  _all_  towards me and try not to think of anything else."

"All right. What are we going to do?"

He gave her a wry smile. "I'm going to kiss you again."

She blinked at him. "Oh..."

"Although you've probably sobered up a bit by now so it might not trigger you as much."

He shrugged, slightly embarrassed, before leaning forwards and pressing his lips against hers.

Morgana couldn't remember what it was she was thinking about during the last kiss, other than being surprised at how pleasant it had felt. But, of course, she had to keep thinking about Merlin right now, pushing everything towards him... just him. She closed her eyes, focusing on the sensation of his lips moving very gently against hers, and had to admit that it felt good. Then she felt a tingle and a slight buzz on her wrist as her Gauntlet reacted. No, she mustn't think about 'that' but about Merlin. About his blue eyes and his smile and that one lock of dark hair which kept sticking up. He deepened the kiss and she followed suit, all her thoughts on Merlin and the kiss and the wonderful feelings it was starting to awaken.

Then she felt it. A strange warmth deep inside her, like a small light which was starting to build and expand. She focused on that and then on Merlin and pushed.

He jumped away from her with a gasp. "Oh!"

"What?"

He smiled sheepishly. "It suddenly feels a bit warm in here."

"I felt my magic then. I felt it start but... I think I stopped it."

"No, you didn't. You  _used_  it." He was grinning now.

"But..." She looked at her Gauntlet to see the lights still gently pulsing, and then around the room as if not quite believing that everything was intact.

"You used it and controlled it," he confirmed. "But, I definitely will have to put some thought into your future lessons because that was very strong for just a kiss and it's going to take a  _lot_  of work to get your magic fully under control."

"Shall we try again?" Morgana asked. "I'm not at all tired. Teach me something else, like moving something. Could you do that?"

He shook his head. "Not tonight and not here where the magic alarms have so recently been set off. Luckily it's the weekend though so, unless you have any plans, we can continue with this tomorrow at my place."

"All right." She looked at the clock to see it was now past two in the morning. "Would you like to stay here?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Don't get your hopes up, Merlin. You can just sleep on the other side of the bed, or on the sofa if you can't trust yourself."

His lips twitched. "Do you really think that I'd even suggest us having sex after what that first kiss did?"

"I..." His bluntness shocked Morgana into silence.

Of course that was exactly why Gaius had been nervous about her going on a date in the first place and, even if she wasn't looking for romance at the moment, she definitely didn't like the idea of her uncontrollable magic forcing the decision for her.

Not that she  _wanted_  to sleep with Merlin, of course. And she'd only kissed him the first time because she was drunk and the second time because it was part of the lesson.

That was the  _only_  reason, of course.

~o~0~o~


	6. A Safe House

**Saturday Morning**

Morgana couldn't remember when she'd last slept so deeply. As she started to wake, she slowly became aware of the sun on her face and a hand wrapped lightly around her wrist. She opened her eyes to see Merlin staring right back at her.

"Why are you holding my hand?" she asked suspiciously.

He smiled. "Thought it was the best way for me to be alerted to your magic if it got out of control."

"And?"

"All quiet."

"Yeah. I slept really well. What about you?" She noticed that he still hadn't removed his hand.

He shrugged. "I got just about enough, I suppose."

"Sorry. That's my fault, isn't it?"

"No, it's fine, but I do think we should start to get ready now though? I would feel much happier getting you somewhere a little safer."

She nodded and reluctantly pulled away from him, starting to get out of bed. "What's so special about your place then?" she asked.

He got up slowly, stretching as he looked around the room. "I have my own defences set up there."

"Magical ones?"

"Yes."

She nodded. "You go ahead and use the bathroom first whilst I get some food ready."

Merlin simply nodded and the two headed off in opposite directions.

Once they'd both eaten and showered, Morgana collected a few things up in a bag and deliberately ignored a couple of messages on her mobile phone before leaving the flat with Merlin. When they reached the entrance hall, he grabbed her wrist again in order to check her magic and, for one reason or another, the pair left the building hand in hand.

~o~0~o~

"Here you go," Merlin said, ushering her into a small, unremarkable terraced house in the poorer part of town.

"Oh, this feels... different," Morgana commented as they entered the long, narrow hallway.

"Yes, you can probably sense the magical shields I've put up here."

"It feels  _very_  strong, though," she said. "Isn't that likely to get noticed?"

"Only by another Silver sorcerer."

"So, the street detectors won't sense anything in here, even if I really lose control?"

"Just as long as my blocks are stronger than your magic." She looked at him nervously and he gave her a half-hearted smile. "I'm fairly certain we're safe. Better here than at your place, anyway."

The house, she noticed, was very sparsely furnished although it was spotlessly clean and decorated in pale, neutral shades. Merlin immediately showed her into the second room on the right – the old dining room – to find it bare except for one table, four plain chairs and a large, wooden chest. There was something else missing she realised, although it took a moment for her to work out what it was.

"There's no electricity in here," she said. "No modern fittings or fixtures at all."

"No, and that's very deliberate, of course."

She nodded. "I'm not the only one who short-circuits things then?"

"It's the way the magic detectors work, of course," Merlin explained. "All lifeforms emit small amounts of natural electricity, but sorcerers give out more than most."

"And those of us with a lot of power...?"

He nodded. "This room is clear of anything which could cause issues, and lit only by camping lights which don't seem to be a problem. I would have used candles but naked flame can sometimes be an issue too, depending on the individual sorcerer. We've some natural light coming through the window but I've blocked much of it, as you can see. Best to keep as far away from prying eyes as possible."

"Yes, I can see that," she said with a large sigh. "So, what's the first step?"

He raised an eyebrow. "We get rid of that Gauntlet."

"Really?"

He nodded and moved quickly towards her, gently taking her wrist and focusing on the mechanism. There was a faint buzz and click and the bracelet quickly came loose.

Morgana sighed deeply with relief. "That feels  _so_  much better."

"Good. Just remember to keep yourself nice and calm. Now, sit on this chair and think about... fluffy clouds or a gentle song or... actually that's a good idea..."

Merlin scurried out of the room, returning a few minutes later with a small CD player which he then set down on the table. He pressed a button and smiled as it started to play ocean sounds.

"Lovely," Morgana said, sarcastically. "But that's still electrical, even if it isn't plugged in."

"Yes, it'll serve the extra purpose of being a monitor. If it survives our lessons you'll know you've done it correctly."

"But you want me to use magic whilst it's in this room?"

"I want you to  _control_  your magic. Using magic in itself doesn't cause a problem... look."

And to her amazement and awe, Merlin held out a hand right next to the CD player and allowed a flame to dance on his palm. The soothing sounds continued to play without the slightest jump or crackle.

"So, it's not reacting because...?"

"...because I'm not allowing my magic to go there," Merlin replied. "I'm keeping most of it inside me and releasing the rest of it in a different direction."

"But last night you told me  _not_  to keep it inside."

"That was because you were wearing your Gauntlet. If your internal magic increases or builds up it'll react – that's what it's designed for. What you managed to do yesterday was bypass it. You pushed the magic straight towards me without going through it."

"And so it should be much easier now it's gone?"

"Which is the whole point, of course." And with no warning, he came over to her, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a close embrace.

"Merlin!"

"Right, let's get those emotions of yours bubbling and see what happens."

She glared at him. "Well, you'll certainly get me  _angry_  if you do something like that again without permission."

He smirked, still holding her close. "Anger's fine too, although let's see how long  _that_  lasts, shall we?" And he kissed her, far more deeply than he had the night before.

Despite Morgana's determination to prove Merlin wrong, her annoyance appeared to dissolve and passion quickly took over. However, even with that lack of control and the fact they both quickly started to get carried away, she was still able to retain enough focus to remember that this was actually a lesson and that all her magic should be focused  _away_  from the CD player. So, she pushed it towards Merlin and over him, mentally imagining the player was behind a wall.

She was almost disappointed when he pushed her gently away, breathing heavily.

"T-that's good. You did that exactly right. The only problem is..." He gulped in a huge lungful of air.

"What?"

"I'm going to have to adapt your Gauntlet I think. Get it to work as a magic absorber, much as mine does, but..." He shook his head. "It's really not going to be easy. Your magic is wild."

"Wild?" she asked, offended.

"It's strong and it's..." He waved his hands around wildly, trying to find the right word. "It's like a force of nature. Elemental... Yes, it really is very much like my magic, just with hardly any control placed on it."

She arched an eyebrow at him and folded her arms, not entirely sure that description was complimentary. "And tell me, Merlin, are you going to keep using these lessons as an excuse to seduce me, or might there be some other way that you can test my magic?"

He grinned sheepishly, his cheeks turning very pink. "I'm sorry, that was only suppose to be a little kiss but..."

"But?"

"When you push all that magic towards me it's very... intoxicating and I admit I got carried away."

"Even more of a reason to do something less... stimulating perhaps?"

"All right, but I'm not sure it'll feel any different really. Your magic does things to me, Morgana, as do you. I'm just going to have to schedule a few breaks for both of us, I think."

"When you say 'breaks'?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah..." Merlin's cheeks coloured further. "Yeah... perhaps, but there are complications with... ah, masturbating, as you've probably found out for yourself by now."

"A cold shower perhaps?" she teased.

He gave her a look which was probably supposed to be annoyed but actually appeared slightly amused. "Okay, let's try something smaller and calmer then. You're right that it's a good idea to try to quieten your magic down now. Here, this is probably something Gaius has tried with you."

He fished out a small marble from his pocket and put it on the table.

Morgana sighed. "Yeah. I'm supposed to give it a little push."

"And nothing happened when you tried before?"

"No."

"Well, either this is too small and delicate for you right now and we'll get the same result, or the fact that your magic is now free will let you move it. Of course, the other possibility is that you could end up smashing it to pieces."

"I doubt I'd be able to do something like that on a first go."

"If you pushed as hard as you did when you were kissing me just then, then you might. At the moment it appears to be all or nothing with you, so I want you to try and find that feeling you had when we kissed. That magic."

"I remember how it felt, like a small light right here..." She placed a hand just under her breasts and Merlin nodded.

"Good, that's correct. Now, here's the  _real_  trick. You need to recreate that feeling and draw the light up by yourself. Once you've got it, you just have to push as you did before, but this time, very, very gently."

Morgana initially struggled to find the light again. She knew how it felt and what it 'looked' like but didn't seem to be able to discover it on her own. Merlin moved forwards then and held her hand, stroking it gently as he gave her a few words of advice. His touch sent gentle shudders through her body and it was only then that she felt as if she was close to succeeding. As much as she was reluctant to admit the effect he had on her, she decided to take advantage of it and focused on his touch; on his eyes and his lips and the thought of their earlier kiss. The light started to grow and she took a hold of it and tried to move it gently towards the marble.

The pair both jumped off their chairs as the ball was hurled across the table and slammed against the opposite wall.

"What? Was that me?"

"Yes." Merlin moved towards the wall and grinned. "Well, the good news is that you didn't smash it."

"Why?" she asked walking towards him. "What happened?"

For an answer he simply pointed and she stared in shock on seeing the marble firmly embedded in the plaster with only the smallest amount of glass sticking out from the plain wallpaper.

"Oh."

"It's good though," Merlin reassured her. "You consciously used your magic for a specific task for the first time. Even yesterday you were only able to push the power generally in my direction without giving it any real purpose. Today though you wanted to move the marble." He laughed loudly. "And you certainly did!"

"But that's still not good enough, is it?"

"No, it needs to be gentler and a lot more controlled, but I didn't expect you to get there on the first try. It is a good start though," he continued as he saw her crestfallen expression. "Now, shall we try again?"

**Saturday Afternoon**

"You biggest problem is patience," Merlin complained a little later on. "Or lack of it."

"And you're not exactly making it any easier," she complained.

"Me? What did I do?"

"Oh, I don't know," she grumbled. "How about, kissing me without asking and making me repeat things over and over when it's obvious I'm tired and struggling."

"This sort of thing can't happen instantly, Morgana. Like any skill it requires repetition and lots and lots of practice."

She pulled a face. "Yeah, well, I need a break. I need to sleep."

"It's the afternoon!"

"I don't care. This is exhausting."

He sighed. "Fine, let's put this Gauntlet back on and then you can take a nap in my room."

"What? No..." She pulled away from the metal band as if Merlin were offering her a poisonous snake to stroke.

"You've started to fully understand and realise your magic, Morgana and, until you've developed a little more control, you will need to keep wearing this and I will need to monitor you."

"And how long will  _that_  take?" she asked. "I have to go into work on Monday."

He frowned, nodding. "I'm hoping that, if we work really hard, we can get you mostly stable by then."

"And I'm sleeping in your room because...?"

"Because it's also fairly well shielded and sparsely decorated – for much the same reason."

"I thought you said that  _your_  magic was under control."

"Most of the time, but it's nice to know I've extra protection up there, just in case."

She smirked, moving a little closer. "Just in case you get... frustrated?"

He licked his lips and nodded. "As I said before, that sort of activity is a problem for most strong sorcerers, and I suppose I should give you some advice about that too at some point."

"Now that  _does_  sound like an interesting lesson," she said with a cheeky smile.

"Well, I was only going to mention..."

"Yes...?"

Without really thinking about it, Morgana moved forward to kiss him. Merlin responded wholeheartedly and, for a while, things became heated again, ending up with Morgana pressed up against one of the walls and Merlin's hands firmly on her hips.

A sudden loud crash had them pull quickly apart and look around the room nervously but, fortunately, only one of the chairs had fallen over.

"We really mustn't..." Merlin stuttered. "You're not ready for that sort of... stimulation yet."

She smirked at him. "Spoilsport."

"Anyway, I thought you said you were tired."

"I am and I do think I'll find all of this easier to master once I've had a nap."

Merlin showed her up to the room and then wandered off but, not long after she'd settled into the large double bed, he came back and, without a word, started to get in next to her.

"What? You're sleeping here too?"

"I really do need to keep a close eye on you – just in case your have a bad dream or something." She glared at him. "I've no other agenda here, Morgana, I told you. Right now 'that' would probably be even worse than if you had a nightmare."

"But perhaps a little more pleasant?"

He smiled but didn't answer, simply taking her right wrist gently in his hand and lying down next to her.

Morgana had to admit she was confused about so much regarding Merlin. Obviously he fancied her, and the kisses they'd shared had been far better than she'd expected but, even considering the fact that they had far more in common than she'd thought before this weekend, she still wasn't certain how she felt about him. She also kept wanting to tell him off for constantly ordering her, randomly kissing her to help her control her magic or that they'd be sharing a bed whether she wanted to or not.

However, what was really bothering her, was the quiet voice inside her that was rather pleased by this turn of events.

~o~0~o~


	7. A Unique Lesson

**Saturday Evening**

"Better?"

Morgana blinked open her eyes to find Merlin lying really close to her and still holding her wrist.

She nodded. "What's the time?"

"Six. Are you ready for more lessons? We've not got long to crack this – unless you plan on pulling a sicky on Monday."

She sighed. "I suppose I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

Merlin really was lying very close to her and, still half asleep, Morgana moved forwards to kiss him. He responded briefly, his lips moving gently, but urgently, against hers before he again pulled away abruptly.

"No, not here."

"I thought you said it was shielded?"

"Not  _that_  strongly."

"But, I'm feeling really frustrated and all these kissing lessons you keep giving me aren't exactly helping."

"I know. I understand." He sighed. "Okay, here's the advice I mentioned before if you really need it. Water."

"Water?"

"You've seen my en-suite?"

"Yes, it's very impressive," she replied. "I wasn't expecting a modern wet room in such an old-fashioned house."

Water dampens magic, you see, and it can also be used as an object to move; something which requires a lot of power but won't do much harm. In fact, it's possible we might have to go in there for normal lessons if you were  _really_  struggling, but if you need to... ah, get rid of some tension, just go in there, turn all the water on and then aim your magic at it in the process. It'll fly all over the place - you'll get soaked – but it will mean that nothing else gets damaged."

She held up her wrist. "And this?"

"Leave it out here and I'll work on adjusting it a little more."

She nodded and walked to the door, pausing before entering. "I should leave my clothes out here then?"

"Oh, right... yes. I'd better wait next door then. Please try to stay  _really_  calm until you've got all the water running, will you?"

"Okay."

"And focus  _entirely_  on the water. Don't include me this time."

"But you'll be the other side of the shield you created, won't you?"

"Yeah," he replied, pulling a face. "Hopefully that'll be enough."

~o~0~o~

It was probably the most bizarre experiences Morgana had ever had. There was a nice long ledge in the main shower area where she could lie down to make things easier and, before she started, she ensured that every single tap was turned on just as Merlin had instructed. The water started behaving strangely within moments, refusing to fall vertically as it left the taps and shower head, whilst many of the water drops begun to hover in mid air or float around the room.

And she couldn't stop herself thinking about Merlin, despite what he'd said. She did try to focus on the water or imagine other men she fancied but, for some reason, all she could think about was the annoying young man who had decided he was going to teach her magic and assumed the whole weekend was his to do with as he wished.

And right now Morgana was beginning to wish Merlin was here with her for this particular lesson so they could perhaps help each other out.

Around her the water started to swirl furiously, little droplets dancing, whilst miniature waterspouts appeared and disappeared as she imagined what it would be like to make love to him in here: How much more furiously the water would swirl, how much better it would feel.

She aimed some of her magic at herself too, desperate to speed things up as much as possible.

"Merlin!"

With an almighty roar, all the water was hurled itself violently against the walls before dramatically splashing down to the floor. Morgana could only imagine what damage she would have done if she hadn't been in a bathroom full of water.

~o~0~o~

"I thought I told you  _not_  to think about me."

She came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a couple of towels, to find Merlin sitting on the bed and scowling at her.

"Why?" she asked, looking around. "I didn't cause any damage, did I?"

"No, you contained it."

"So? You just said I shouldn't push the magic towards you."

"But you were thinking about me and... imagining us... together and..." His cheeks were looking very pink, she noticed.

She glared at him. "How do you know what I was thinking?"

"Because sorcerers can communicate telepathically and you linked with me that way... a bit."

"I didn't do it deliberately."

"Yeah, well, let's just say that now I really need to take a turn."

"Oh." She smirked. "I'll go and turn the taps back on then, shall I?"

"Yes."

"And you'd better undress before you go back in there," she continued, still smiling. "It's already very wet."

"Well... go next door then," he continued nervously.

"Spoilsport."

She turned back just before she reached the door to the hall and was rewarded by a view of him already topless. "Morgana!"

"Sorry."

Still on a high and enjoying his discomfort far too much, she decided to tease him just a little bit more. As her towel was starting to slip, she readjusted it whilst facing him, giving him a brief view of her naked body. "Perhaps that'll help speed things up for you."

Merlin was still gaping at her even after she'd wrapped herself back up and walked briefly outside. She then waited a minute to give him time to get into the bathroom before returning to the bedroom to dry and dress.

She was in the middle of brushing her hair when he came back out with just a towel wrapped around his waist. Now it was her turn to gape.

"Ah, I should go," she said. "Or I'll be needing to go back in there."

He smiled. "Yes, you better had. Even though that was a good lesson for you in some ways, I do have far more important stuff I should be teaching you this evening."

They ate supper mostly in silence, with Merlin constantly distracted by her Gauntlet which he continued to adjust both mechanically and magically as it lay next to his plate.

"What is it you're doing to it?" Morgana asked.

"Increasing its absorbent qualities," he replied. "All Gauntlets do that, of course, soak up its wearer's magic in order to stop them using it. The problem with that though is that the usual setting prevents us from accessing that magic and it's essentially lost to us and wasted."

"It is of  _some_  use though," Morgana disagreed. "It helps to keep it powered and maintain its magical elements."

Merlin scoffed. "That's a myth. How would the Red Gauntlets work if that were true?"

"Natural electricity as you said before. Everyone has that."

"Yes, but that's the point, don't you see? Someone with no magic can keep their Gauntlet running with only a little of their own personal energy. A Yellow Gauntlet needs a little more power to keep the magic subdued so it takes a little more but, even then, there's a discrepancy. Most Gauntlets are storing stolen energy from us which naturally disperses and never gets used."

"So..?"

"So now, with this new adjustment, your surplus magic  _can_  be used."

"Really?"

He nodded. "And that's this evening's lesson. I want you to put this new, modified one back on and then learn how to use it to your advantage."

"It's now working like yours?"

"Similar, although you haven't gained full control yet."

"And on Monday?"

"Yes, that's why this is so important. I need to make sure you can go about your normal day, even get a bit stressed or emotional, and yet still not have your Gauntlet react." He stood up beckoned with one hand. "Let's go back into the teaching room."

She sighed. "All right."

Once inside, Merlin closed the door and held out her Gauntlet which she again eyed warily.

"Trust me, Morgana. Look, I'm wearing mine now too."

"Showing Red," she grumbled.

"Obviously I have to display the colour I'm registered under, just as you do, but that is just for show. Otherwise our Gauntlets are very similar; set to absorb large amounts of magical power for our own use later on."

"Fine," she snapped. "What's the next lesson?"

He grinned. "You're getting annoyed."

"So?"

"What emotions have triggered your magic before?"

"Well, annoyance isn't usually one of them. I feel that most of the time with all the idiots I work with at that place."

Merlin laughed. "Nightmares you said though so... fear?"

She shrugged. "Yeah."

"And passion, obviously."

"I think it's mostly those two," she replied reluctantly. Merlin grinned broadly. "You're just loving this, aren't you?"

"Not unpleasant, I admit." He moved closer and Morgana inwardly groaned as she felt her heart rate begin to increase. "It'll certainly be easier to work with passion than fear right now, don't you think?"

"I can't imagine how you could possibly scare me, no."

He held her hand and moved closer, gently stroking her hands. "But this?"

A delightful shudder coursed through her body and she took a deep breath. "Yeah."

"Right, so far you've focused your magic on me, or on the water. Now I want you to actually focus on your Gauntlet but, be gentle."

"Gentle?"

He continued to stroke her hand, moving even closer. "I'm going to do as little as possible because, what we  _really_  want is for you to be able to find your magic without having to get fired up. The ultimate goal is for you to access it, use it or disperse it no matter what the situation or how you are feeling. Remember how it felt before and try to get there without me. If necessary I'll push this a little further." He again moved very close to her. So, close that she could feel his breath on her face.

"I think... I think I can sense it now... a little."

"Good. I want you to take hold of your magic and, as gently as possible, move it into your Gauntlet. In fact, the lights are moving a lot faster already so it looks like your body is starting to release magical energy, even if it's not that strong."

Morgana looked down to see the lights flashing in a way she hadn't seen before. "This is a warning sign for me then?" she asked. "If it starts flashing like this it means my magic is waking up?"

"Yes. It's not ideal to have it visible - I have mine set up so it doesn't show, for obvious reasons – but, for now, we both need to see what your magic is doing."

"And now it's calming down," she observed.

"That's because you're thinking too hard about mundane stuff. Think about your magic again and try to deliberately aim it at your wrist."

"What if I overdo it?"

"At first the lights will flash really fast and that'll be your warning to pull back and relax. Otherwise it will short-circuit just like before."

He stroked her face with one hand and lazily brushed his lips against hers and, right on cue, the lights started to speed up.

"Good, no more than that," Merlin declared. "I think that's you, Morgana. I think you're actually moving your magic into the Gauntlet consciously."

"I-I think so, yes."

"Good, let's see how much it'll take." And he kissed her again.

Morgana didn't need to see what the lights were doing, she could  _feel_  it. That buzz that had so confused her the other night was back but was now subtly different. After a few more seconds she pulled away, somehow realising that it was getting towards the danger point.

Merlin was frowning. "Hmm, really doesn't take much at all, does it? Right, it's time for you to use that magic."

"What?  _This_  magic?" she held up her wrist.

"Yes." He pointed to the marble on the table and she eyed it nervously.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Look, this Gauntlet will help you in so many ways. It's not just a way of absorbing your excess magic, it's also a tool to help you control it. If you focus on it and push at the marble through it, you should be capable of much more controlled feats."

"Really?"

"Try."

Morgana focused first on her Gauntlet, trying to repeat the sensation she'd experienced before, but this time creating a path between her internal magic, through the bracelet and then from there towards the marble. She pushed very gently...

…and the marble rolled off the table. Fairly quickly, but nowhere near the speed of yesterday.

"Yes! You did it!" Merlin crowed. "I really think this is going to work."

"That was..." Morgana stared at the ball, now rolling around on the floor. "I was hardly aware of using it."

"And yet you did. We still need to control that power – teach you to dial it down a bit - but, all the same, that certainly works very much better when you channel it through a modified Gauntlet."

"And next?"

"We do it again, of course."

Morgana rolled her eyes. "Of course."

The marble task was repeated several times, with Morgana attempting to access her magic with less help or stimulation from Merlin and using less and less force whilst pushing at the marble.

By the end of the session, it was rolling very gently across the table and she even managed to make it stop on the edge one time too, much to Merlin's delight. Even though he wasn't physically touching her, she reluctantly admitted to him that she was still relying on sexual thoughts to access her magic.

"Well, I suppose... if it works..." he replied, sceptically.

"That didn't happen to you?"

"I was consciously using magic at the age of two."

She gaped. "Two?"

"Yeah so... that's not exactly something I can relate to."

"I should hope not."

He laughed. "Anyway, as long as you are controlling it and are keeping control of your emotions, I suppose it doesn't matter what method you use. And you have a well-contained shower at your flat, I noticed, so it should be easy enough for you to released all of your sexual tension in a safe environment at home too."

"Yeah."

"How are you feeling now?"

"Exhausted."

"Hmm, something else I have no memory of. Magic was always such a natural thing for me. Well, let's start getting ready for bed, but I'll need to stay up for a little longer and adjust this Gauntlet further."

"Why? What are you going to do to it?"

"Just see if I can increase the absorbency a little more."

"You're still going to stay close to me though?"

"Yeah, I'll work on this at the desk in my bedroom and join you later." He sighed. "We've only one more day to get this sorted so I hope we both sleep well tonight."

~o~0~o~


	8. : Taking A Chance

**Sunday Morning**

Morgana fell asleep immediately and was only half aware of Merlin coming to bed at some point afterwards. She recalled nothing else until his shout had her instantly awake, worried that she might have inadvertently used magic in her sleep.

But, although the room was intact, Merlin was still asleep next to her, tossing and turning as if  _he_  were the one having a nightmare.

"Merlin, wake up," she said, gently shaking him.

"No." He was mumbling at first but soon started to raise his voice. "It can't be true... I hate them. I hate them all!"

She shook him harder, shocked by the uncharacteristic anger in his voice. "Merlin!"

"Freya, No!"

"It's just a dream. You have to wake up." His Gauntlet lights remained steady, despite his distress, but that was almost certainly because he'd set it up that way. He may have a certain amount of control generally, but this seemed to be serious enough to upset that balance. "Merlin!"

This time he  _did_  wake, although he appeared confused at first; looking around wildly and obviously highly distressed and disorientated.

"It's me. It's Morgana," she said, moving closer and placing both hands on his face. "You were having a nightmare."

He took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes for a moment. "Yeah... sorry."

"Don't be silly. I have to admit that It makes a change. Do you want to talk about it?"

He shrugged. "Perhaps. I need a drink of water first though."

"Of course," she replied, quickly scrambling out of bed to get it for him.

She came back into the bedroom to find him now checking his own Gauntlet. "Is it okay?"

"Thankfully, yes. There's plenty of spare magic in there, which I'll need to disperse that in a bit. " He held out a hand to her. "Water first though."

He took a large gulp of water, went into the bathroom and came back out five minute later, looking a little better. Then he looked at the clock with a loud sigh. "Three a.m. So much for us both being fresh for the morning."

"Talk to me about it whilst we try to get back to sleep," she suggested. "Who's Freya?"

He looked surprised at the question, frowning and shaking his head and, for a moment, Morgana thought he wasn't going to answer. However, once settled back in his usual position in bed, gently holding her wrist, Merlin took a deep breath and answered her question.

"She was my girlfriend," he replied. His voice no more than a whisper. "My childhood sweetheart, I suppose, and she died."

"I'm sorry. You sounded very angry though. What happened?"

He sighed. "She had magic and her family were of Eden," he began. "Although they often travelled around. Once they realised how strong she was, her parents removed her Gauntlet so they could teach her to control her magic but later, when they were captured in front of her, she got frightened and angry and did a lot of damage."

"How old was she?"

"Fifteen. The authorities arrested her too and slapped Purple Gauntlets on the whole family." He set his jaw and closed his eyes and Morgana saw a single tear roll down his cheek. "It killed her. She died screaming; I could hear her... in my head and I was miles away at the time and..." His voice cracked. "There was  _nothing_  I could do about it."

Morgana remembered how shocked she'd been on Friday night when Merlin had so casually mentioned the Gauntlet's unacceptable death rate. However, at the time, all she'd thought about was herself, suddenly scared about what her wild settings would do to her. She hadn't even entertained the idea that Merlin might have experienced such a personal loss.

"No wonder you're angry," she said.

He frowned. "I might have been in my dream but I normally try to remain detached..." He held up his wrist. "... for obvious reasons."

"I can't see how you can be," Morgana complained. "Why  _should_  you be? How you can be so calm and even work for the company which distributes them?"

"But that's the reason I'm here in the first place, don't you see? I have all this power and that means I can make a difference. That's what Eden thinks, anyway. They believe that's my purpose."

"Purpose?" She scoffed. "Destiny?"

He shrugged. "Something like that."

"Well, I can see now why you're motivated to change things, and I would help you, if I thought for a moment I'd be of any use."

"But you  _could_  be," he replied brightly before biting his lip. "I mean... if you wanted to. But I understand it could be a dilemma for you – working with your family as you do."

"I've told them often enough that the system doesn't work and they dismiss me at every turn. Yet you never have, Merlin. You've supported me, listened to me and, most importantly, shown me a way I can be free."

He nodded. "We all carry a prison around our wrists, it's true, and I have always wanted to help as many people as possible."

"And so, what's next?"

"What I did on Thursday was very difficult and not something I can keep repeating. The only way for an escape to be truly affective is if it happens at night when the place is deserted, but that would be even harder in some ways unless..." He winced.

"Unless?" she pushed.

"Unless I had higher security clearance."

"Like I do, you mean?"

"Yes. The current plan is for me to 'borrow' Arthur's, but having you as a willing participant would be much better."

Morgana fell silent for a moment, contemplating. "It sounds interesting. It sounds like something I would like to help with but..."

"I understand. Your loyalty would obviously be to your family."

She laughed. "I was actually going to say that, right now, I'm far too tired to think about such a thing."

"Oh."

"I  _would_  like to help though."

"Thank you."

"How are you feeling now?"

"Better. I think I'm ready to go back to sleep now too."

"Good. Goodnight, Merlin."

"Goodnight, Morgana."

~o~0~o~

Morgana blinked her eyes open again, feeling extremely disorientated but remarkably well rested, considering how disturbed her sleep had been.

Merlin was awake already, still lying next to her and still holding her wrist. He smiled at her and she felt her heart skip at the same time as her magic starting to build. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to relax.

"Good morning," he said.

She risked opening her eyes. "Hi. How are you feeling?"

"Tired, obviously, but okay." He smiled at her, a really loving smile which had her heart racing once more. "Thank you again for listening."

Her magic suddenly surged and glanced down at her wrist to see the green lights now flashing furiously. Having him so close was driving her crazy.

Merlin followed her gaze and nodded. "So far, so good."

"Yes." She closed her eyes again, hoping that might settle things down a little.

"So, can you remember how your Gauntlet reacted when we were at the party?" Merlin asked.

"Ah..?" Thursday evening felt like weeks ago now. "I remember it buzzing. Not exactly like it did just then. At the time it felt more like an itch."

Merlin nodded. "That was probably my fault."

"What? Why?"

"I thought that you probably had more magic than your Gauntlet was showing, but didn't know how much you were aware of."

"So, what did you do?"

"I tried to talk to you telepathically."

She frowned. "I remember you saying something about that before but I had other things on my mind at the time."

"I want to try that now. It didn't work before, both because you had no control over your magic and because your Gauntlet was trying to block me."

"Okay then," she said, sitting up in bed. "Give it a go."

This time the itch felt like it was everywhere and that was followed by a strange buzz which made her convinced that a couple of insects were burrowing in her ears. She sat up and shook her head, flicking at her ears with her fingers as if that were true and she could somehow dislodge the imaginary creatures.

"Try to relax," Merlin said, out loud. He too was also sitting up, now leaning in close with his gaze firmly on her.

"What do I need to do?" she asked. "How do I make it stop?"

"I'll try and focus through your Gauntlet this time," he said. "You do the same. Just think of it as the marble lesson in reverse."

"Ah, right."

The buzzing had returned but, this time, Morgana attempted to focus on her Gauntlet and it wasn't long before the uncomfortable sound began to turn into something resembling a whisper.

"I remember," she said then. "I did think at one point that someone was whispering."

Merlin didn't answer though, still focusing, and so she closed her eyes and concentrated again.

" _... hear me?"_

She snapped her eyes open.

"Yes!"

" _Try to..."_

She shook her head, still struggling to latch onto his silent voice.

" _Try to talk to me in the same way."_

She focused on his words and her Gauntlet and attempted to reply.  _"Hello?"_

" _Good."_ This time there seemed to be no delay, with Merlin's silent voice now sounding much clearer.  _"We should practice this too. Although I think everything will start becoming easier for you now."_

" _But, this is amazing!"_

He gave her the most beautiful smile and she felt her magic surge again as well as experiencing other sensations. Bother. Why did he keep doing this to her? She moved towards him without really thinking about it, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately and, yet again, he responded whole heartedly.

Her Gauntlet buzzed angrily.

"It's just not fair!" she shouted as she pulled away.

"No," Merlin replied, breathing heavily. "I agree. This is driving me crazy too." He grabbed her hand and started to pull her towards him. "Bathroom?"

Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment as she fully understood what he was suggesting, and quickly scrambled out of bed after him. "Bathroom," she agreed.

Their clothes and Gauntlets were removed with such haste that Morgana barely had time to register it. Only when they were in the bathroom and Merlin was rushing around to switch on all the taps was she finally able to admire his naked body.

"Stop staring and come here," he said, moving towards her. She put her hands up to his chest to slow him down, quite determined to enjoy the view. "What? What's there to see? I'm just a skinny... nothing."

She raised her eyebrows. "Oh, I wouldn't say that."

"But you..." Now  _he_  was the one staring. "You are beautiful." And he moved forwards and kissed her. Morgana gasped at the feel of her magic responding to the sensation of his naked skin against hers.

"The water..." Merlin gasped. "Remember to focus on the water."

"Not easy to focus on anything right now."

"I know, I understand, but  _please_  try not to aim it at me."

He pushed her up against the wall then, his hands exploring her body and his lips kissing her neck and it sent marvellous shivers up and down her body which she knew had very little to do with their magic.

"Now why did you never think of having a comfy bed in your bathroom?" she asked as the water started to swirl around them.

He chuckled, still nuzzling her neck, before lifting one of her legs up to wrap around his hip. "Don't need a bed," he mumbled.

"You can't be serious... aah."

"I don't know," he continued as he pushed up against her. "Will this work, do you think?"

She gasped as what felt like six hands started exploring different parts of her body. "Are you... using magic on me?"

"Trying not to, but there's just so much spare floating around right now."

"Can our magic be contained?" she asked.

"No idea," he replied. "Hopefully all this water will be enough, but I'm not sure I can stop now, anyway."

"No."

Despite that declaration, Merlin did manage to pull briefly away, but only to grab a condom and throw a few towels from the cupboard onto the floor. Then he knelt down on them and held his hands out to her, silently asking her to join him. They were already soaking wet by the time she had knelt down, but at least they would provided some cushion between their bodies and the tiled floor.

Not that Morgana was really aware of any discomfort right now, even as Merlin pushed her quite roughly onto the wet towels and water drops continued to spin around the room. Then again, he was kissing her in so many places it was hard to tell and, in addition, she had no idea which sensations were actually being produced by him and which was the magic.

"This is so unfair," she said, gasping as another wave of magically induced euphoria engulfed her. "Why are you not focusing on the water too?"

"I am," he whispered hoarsely. "But you have to trust me, this is the best way to manage all of our magic together."

The drops of water, which had simply been swirling around the room randomly, now started to gather themselves up into an impressive waterspout and began to whirl around the bathroom.

"Just the water," Merlin gasped as Morgana obviously aimed some of her magic at him.

"How?" she asked. "When you're here and... doing these things to me I just... can't." It was now more like ten hands, she decided. And about six pairs of lips. "I'm so close..."

"Good."

She had to admit that she'd not given much thought to the act itself. She had planned to have sex well before this, and had even made a fairly impressive start in her teenage years, but her magic had soon put a stop to that. And she had no idea if Merlin had or not... her opinion on that kept changing every time he quickly changed from the shy, nervous and embarrassed boy, to the confident teacher and sorcerer. Morgana had already seen both sides of him here in the bathroom this morning and was still none the wiser. He did appear to know what he was doing, but then with so much magic involved, it wasn't that easy to tell.

However, right now, any awkwardness or discomfort was completely over-ridden by the huge burst of magic Merlin pushed into her at exactly the same time as he entered her.

The waterspout exploded into a thousand, gold-tinged droplets very soon afterwards.

~o~0~o~


	9. Where Loyalty LIes

**Saturday Morning**

The couple lay on the wet towels for ages, breathing heavily, as the water continued to run from the taps and showers; now finally obeying the laws of gravity.

"It's going to be hard to be spontaneous with us," Merlin said, eventually. "That was a  _lot_  of excess magic."

"You're assuming there'll be a next time," she countered.

He lifted himself up onto one elbow and hovered over her, planting a gentle kiss on her lips. "Yes. Yes I am."

She tried not to grin. "Doesn't sound like we set off any alarms though?"

"No, I just checked. I doubt that would have been the case before this weekend though."

"Well, I have to say that that was nowhere near as boring as most of your lessons."

Merlin grinned. "Why can't you just admit how much you enjoyed yourself?"

She shook her head, still trying to keep a straight face, before getting up and walking towards the shower.

"Want me to help you wash?" he asked cheekily.

"Certainly not. Anyway, haven't we got lessons to get on with?"

"Yes," he agreed, coming over to her anyway. "But, after that particular 'lesson', I've fewer concerns about what you're going to be doing today. I think you'll now suddenly find everything a lot easier."

Merlin moved close to her and briefly kissed her on the lips, whilst one hand trailed lazily down her bare arm and the other traced a line between her breasts.

She shuddered. "Really? I thought perhaps I might be  _more_  out of control."

She teased him back, stroking his hip and leg; her thumb sliding along his inner thigh and she grinned as he gasped at the sensation.

"You controlled it here," he managed. "Despite an extraordinary amount of emotion and stimulation, and without your Gauntlet too. I doubt you'll have many problems moving a marble now."

And, it looked as if he was right. Back in the teaching room, Morgana suddenly found that everything which had seemed so far out of reach yesterday, now made perfect sense. She could move the marble slowly and have it stop whenever and wherever she wanted, and all the other tricks came more easily too and didn't make her feel especially tired.

The main problem for her now was Merlin, who was proving to be a huge distraction. If he came close to help her with something, or adjust her Gauntlet, Morgana could rarely resist reaching out to stoke his hair or kiss his cheek and that, in turn, tempted him to misbehave too.

Inevitably this turned into a new lesson: How to have sex in a room with no running water involved.

Luckily the teaching room was exceptionally well shielded and mostly bare and, although it was true that the table and chairs were not able to survive the session, the room itself did manage to contain their magic, and Morgana had consciously directed much of that energy herself.

Merlin declared she had passed the basic control tests and that he was happy for her to go into work the following day.

**Sunday Evening**

The couple ate supper in almost total silence, both exhausted from their long weekend, inconsistent sleep and... everything else. Afterwards, Merlin announced that they would need to sleep in the teaching room that night because, after everything they'd got up to today, he couldn't trust their magic in his bedroom. He would need to spend some more time working out how to improve the shields in order for them to be able to make love in there.

So, Morgana came downstairs in her nightdress to find Merlin sprawled on the large mattress they'd manoeuvred down the narrow stairs earlier, wearing only his underpants. She gaped as she saw him lying there with a faint gold trace of magic sedately spiralling around his naked chest, despite the fact he was still wearing his Gauntlet. Her magic gave a violent jolt at the sight of him.

[ ](http://theheartofcamelot.com/showthread.php?tid=1002&pid=148723#pid148723)

"Beautiful," she breathed.

"W-what?" He sat up suddenly, slightly disorientated.

She smirked. "Did I tire you out?"

"Yeah. Twice if you remember?"

"I do and I got the impression you were using magic to help with that mattress too."

"Yes, I don't deny it. I'm also trying to work out if it'll be more or less tiring to go up and get the duvet and pillows, or transport them down here with magic."

She stared at him. "You can do that?"

He nodded. "You won't be able to attempt that one for a while, I don't think. I've only recently mastered it myself."

"So," she continued with a smirk. "I think it'll make a nice change to test out my skill on this nice, comfy bed?"

"We've got work tomorrow, Morgana. Probably best if we just sleep?" He held up his wrist. "I've set this a bit higher tonight because even  _I'm_  going to need some help to keep my dreams under control after what we got up to earlier."

"And mine?"

"Yeah, let me just adjust it too." He came over to her and started to fiddle with it and she found herself quite unable to resist stroking his bare chest as she did so. "Really not helping me concentrate," he complained, half-heartedly.

She giggled before suddenly turning more serious. "Merlin, there was all this gold magic floating around you just now when you were dozing there."

He frowned. "Really?" He looked down at the Gauntlet. "I've been told my magic is especially powerful – elemental – even for a Silver. It was probably just testing the limits I'd set on it – making sure it wasn't totally trapped."

"You make it sound like its alive."

"Sometimes I think it is." He made another adjustment. "There. I hope that'll do. Best we both stay alert tonight and keep an eye on one another. It really is a challenge. We need to be together so we can keep an eye on the other's magic but, equally, being this close is making it  _more_  likely that our emotions are pushed out of control." He sighed. "Being in this room should help though. Honestly I'm  _so_  tired right now, that I'm not sure how I'd wake up even if you  _did_  have a bad dream."

"Well, no matter how alert you want to be, I'm definitely  _not_  sleeping on a bare mattress," she declared. "Are you going to magic the rest of the bedding down or will you show me where you keep it so I can help you bring it down the old fashioned way?"

**Monday Morning**

"We need to get up now." Merlin was shaking her gently awake and Morgana turned her head to blink at the clock which was balanced on the wooden box next to the mattress.

"It's only six."

"I know but there's lots to do to make sure you're ready for work."

She groaned and buried herself further under the covers.

"Up!" Merlin threw the duvet to one side and smirked as she sat up with a shout.

"Hey!" Then she took a closer look at Merlin, half naked, and grinned broadly.

"Don't even think about it," he warned.

"Hey, just admiring the view."

"What was that you said on Friday about false flattery. Save your energy, I know it's only the magic."

She frowned. "What is?"

"Why you... why we..." He trailed off as she glared at him.

"You should know better than that, Merlin. It's not all about looks and it's not even about the magic. You're my friend now, as well as my lover and... you've done what no-one else has in my whole life."

He frowned. "What have I done?"

"You have listened and helped. Gwen listens, it's true, which is why she's my best friend. But you... You have finally set me free from this." She raised her wrist.

He shook his head. "Not quite yet."

"Close enough and at least you've shown me that it is possible to be free. You've given me hope, and for that you have both my friendship and my loyalty."

He gaped at her for a long time, as if contemplating what she had said. "Thank you," he managed.

"No, thank  _you_." She looked at the clock with a sigh. "I suppose you're right, I've deliberately ignored my mobile all weekend and no doubt I've a whole bunch of calls and emails to check."

He nodded. "I'll make us breakfast then, but do make sure I've got time to do one final check and adjustment on your Gauntlet before we leave for Camelot."

~o~0~o~

Everything felt different. The world felt more alive. As she made her way to work, Morgana had the sudden thought that the Gauntlets somehow muffled life around them and dulled people's senses. Now, with it adjusted, everything appeared to sparkle.

Then again, considering what Merlin had told her about the Gauntlets, that probably shouldn't come as a surprise. They took a little of everyone's energy in order to work and, if you had magic, it took large parts of that too. Now her Gauntlet just borrowed anything spare and stored it for later use and, through it, she could even gain more energy for herself if required.

Of course, it was also the case that her magic was now free, able to be used at any time. Not that she could, of course; Merlin had been very clear on that point. Because, although it was possible for Silver sorcerers to use their magic near sensors and not set them off, it was definitely not worth risking it in a place like Camelot. More to the point, Morgana was still very inexperienced and should definitely  _not_  be attempting any magic whilst she was at work, not even telepathy with Merlin.

"Arthur was looking for you." As usual, Gaius didn't even look up from his work as she entered the laboratory.

"Yes, I know. I sent him an email this morning. I've been having some trouble with my land-line."

"Ah. Well, he and Uther and coming over a bit later anyway. We have a new... guest to look after, you see."

"Guest?" she scoffed. "Prisoner, you mean. Why don't you just say it?"

The old man did look up then, raising an eyebrow. "That attitude isn't going to help, Morgana, especially if you do end up having controllable magic. Your father needs to know he can trust you, and  _you_  need to prove your loyalty if you're ever going to get permission to have that setting lowered."

She scoffed again.

"Talking of which," Gaius continued. "How is your Gauntlet behaving itself now?"

"Oh, it's fine, thank you," she replied, brightly. "Seemed to take a day or two to catch up but, yes, I think we've finally got it all under control."

He looked at her a little suspiciously. "Are you sure? Perhaps I should have another little look and see if-"

"-No, there really isn't anything for you to check, honestly." She continued to smile brightly. "I'll let you know if I have any problems though."

Something else Merlin had been very insistent about. Gaius must  _not_  inspect her Gauntlet, otherwise he would know that someone had been tampering with it and that it wasn't really set on Green.

Morgana continued to be amazed at how much easier everything was today. She didn't get so tired or irritated and it was far easier to concentrate without that constant, annoying buzz of her magic attempting to push free.

Only last night she had teased Merlin for talking about his magic as it if were alive but she thought now that she understood what he had meant. It had been a poor little animal, locked up alone when all it wanted to do was run free and play. Even now, when she couldn't allow it out, it seemed perfectly happy knowing that it wasn't trapped, just sitting quietly in the corner and purring. She grinned at the analogy.

~o~0~o~

"Where were you all weekend?"

Morgana looked up from her work to see Arthur striding into the lab, with Uther just one step behind.

"I was out for quite a bit of it," she replied promptly. "And I'm having trouble with my land-line as I told you in the email."

"You could have sent a text."

She shrugged. "I was busy."

"Make sure you check your phone regularly at the weekends," Uther said, walking past her with barely a glance. "Now that you've been promoted, it's important we can stay in touch."

"Of course," she said, trying hard not to roll her eyes. "Ah, what's happening?"

Gaius had already moved to the door that the pair had entered by and was now locking them all in. "Best not to take any chances," he said.

She remembered what Gaius had said about a new 'guest' and started to look around wildly.

"The prisoner will be escorted in through the secure entrance," Uther explained, pointing to the 'No Unauthorised Access' door. "Gaius will then assess them and swap their Gauntlet for an up-to-date version at an appropriate setting. Then Arthur will take them back down to our secure holding facility."

"I see." Her Gauntlet tingled and she took a deep breath, her eyes now darting to the main, locked door.  _'Stay calm, stay calm,'_  she thought to herself.

However, it appeared that that was going to be easier said than done. As the secure door was opened, a couple of prison guards escorted in a small, frail looking figure, head bowed and semi-conscious, towards the medical chair that Morgana herself had often sat upon.

However, this time, the arm restraints were to be used and Gaius hovered over them for a moment, obviously making sure their magical locks were well in place before nodding for the others to come closer. Morgana looked at the men and saw them all acting nervously with Arthur adopting an offensive stance – ready to fight. As the prisoner's head was raised, Morgana was shocked to see a skinny teenage girl under the mane of long, red hair. She couldn't be more than thirteen, she decided.

She remembered herself at that age, the time her own magic had first broken through her Gauntlet, although she was sure she'd never been quite that small and frail looking. Surprisingly, the revelation of just how young their prisoner was did nothing to reassure the others. In fact, Uther looked as if they had just brought a wild tiger into the laboratory.

"How strong is she?" he asked Gaius.

"I'll need a moment to assess that properly," the old man replied. "But the reports of her... outburst suggest she's going to be at least Green."

He held both his hands close to her right wrist before very quickly removing her Gauntlet and putting the thicker metal band of the testing Gauntlet on her. That split second was enough for the girl to come briefly out of her comatose state – snapping her head up as if she'd just been doused with a bucket of cold water - before her shoulders again sagged as Gaius initiated the scan.

Obviously not quite as weak as before, the girl's eyes scanned the faces around, her gaze surprisingly penetrating. Morgana found she had to turn away, unable to look at such a pitiful sight, and even more aware of the increasing tingle of her magic building under all these extra emotions.

"Blue, I'd say," Gaius said then. "She's still young, of course. But I think she's more that than Green."

"A new Purple Gauntlet then," Uther declared.

Gaius sighed loudly. "Yes. Although she will need to be monitored very carefully considering her age and ability."

"It could harm her, yes?" Morgana asked as Gaius moved to collect a new Gauntlet and started to adjust its setting. "Might it even kill her?"

"Nonsense," Uther snapped. "Such things only happen if they try to fight it. I'm sure this one will be sensible about such things." The girl's head snapped up again, glaring right at Uther. "You hear that, sorcerer? Just remain calm and everything will be fine."

Then Gaius snapped on the new Gauntlet and her expression changed. The look of defiance faded and instead there sat a small, scared child.

"No don't, please. It hurts."

"Just relax," Gaius pushed. "Best not to fight it."

"Please... it hurts and..." Her eyes widened, tears brimming as she suddenly started to turn her head left and right, desperately. "... where's my mum?" she asked. "Please... I haven't done anything wrong."

Morgana ground her teeth and then panicked as she felt her Gauntlet buzz angrily. She glanced down to look at the lights and was initially surprised to find they were holding very steady, before she remembered why. Merlin had adjusted it so such things wouldn't be visible to Gaius, confident that she would now feel her magic surging without needing to see the lights.

Well, he was right about that.

She closed her eyes and tried hard to control her breathing just as Merlin had taught her.

' _In... out... in...'_

"Well?" Uther was asking Gaius.

"It seems to be holding... I believe she's secure now."

"Good then so, Arthur, if you could go with Gaius and take her down to the cells?"

"Of course, Father."

Morgana saw her brother's jaw clench and wondered how he was feeling about this. Surely he couldn't condone this. A young child, taken from her home and held captive with no trial?

Her magic begun to build even more.

"I need a glass of water."

She moved quickly to the main sink rather than the water cooler and turned the tap on, running her Gauntlet under the water as Merlin had showed her, whilst allowing the excess magic to leak out very, very slowly. The thin jet of water swayed this way and that, spluttering slightly, and it took all of her control to hold back and not push everything out at once as she'd done in Merlin's bathroom when they had...

No, she mustn't think about  _that_  sort of emotion either. Morgana closed her eyes and remembered the CD player and its soothing sea sounds whilst focusing on the feel of the water on her wrist and the sound of her beating heart pounding in her ears.

_'Breathe in... breathe out...'_

So, Merlin had been right. Not that she'd really thought he was lying or exaggerating, but now, seeing that girl and what had been done to her, the whole thing had become much more personal, especially when Morgana knew there was a much easier way to deal with the issue. That could have been her, she realised. If she hadn't been born to this family and had Gaius at hand, she too would have probably been bundled off here as a child and been forced to wear Purple.

By the time she'd turned off the tap Morgana had already made up her mind. She now knew for a fact where her loyalties lay and that was definitely  _not_  with her father.

No matter the consequences she was no determined to help Merlin in whatever way she could. She would help him to set the magic uses free.

~o~0~o~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art work by Wil1969 who kindly agreed to adapt one of her pieces to fit into this chapter (click picture for link)


	10. A New Game

**Monday Evening**

"Morgana?" Merlin gaped at her as she stood on his front doorstep.

"Why so surprised?" she countered coolly. "I told you I was coming over."

"Ah yes, you did, but I have to admit that I wasn't expecting the suitcase."

She rolled her eyes and pushed past him, dropping her luggage in the hallway. "I'm staying here for a bit."

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing's wrong. Why do you say that?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Ah, because I can sense the anger trying to burst out of you from here."

She glared at him. "I might be a bit... cross."

"A bit... Right," he said sceptically. "Perhaps you should take a shower, then."

"Good idea," she agreed. "I'm assuming it'll work well for any emotion?"

"Sure, scream away."

Morgana glared at him for that comment but didn't argue the point, simply taking her suitcase up to his bedroom before fishing out a few things and dashing into the bathroom. She waited until she was undressed and all the taps were running before opening the door just enough to be able to throw her clothes and Gauntlet onto the bed and then shut it firmly behind her.

There may or may not have been some screaming involved.

~o~0~o~

Morgana came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, to find Merlin sitting nonchalantly on the bed with a tray of finger food on the covers next to him. "So, do you want to talk about it?" he asked as he offered her a plate.

"About what?"

"About what got you so fired up today and why, three days after declaring we weren't even dating, you've suddenly decided you're moving in with me."

"I thought it best I was here, considering."

"Yes, that makes sense, but it doesn't really answer either of my questions."

She sighed, pulling a chair up in front of the mirror and starting to brush her hair. Now was probably  _not_  the right time to suggest she would need a dressing table in here.

"Uther welcomed a new 'guest' at the lab today."

"Guest?"

"That's what he likes to call his prisoners, yes."

She saw Merlin glare in the mirror. "You were there?"

"Yes. It was a young girl of fourteen, although she looked younger."

He nodded. "That doesn't surprise me. Puberty tends to kick-start a lot of people's magic."

"Yes, that was the age I started having my nightmares."

"I remember you saying. We need to talk about those at some point too."

"Why?"

"Assuming they only really started then and not when you were younger?"

Morgana frowned, trying to remember. "I'm not sure... I think I did only get them as a teenager. Certainly I don't remember having bad dreams before, not even as a child when I know they can be quite common."

He nodded. "We'll come back to that later then, as I said. Tell me about the girl."

"What is there to tell. She came in and Gaius tested her as Blue before slapping Purple on her."

Merlin winced. "Ah... you got to see that first-hand. Not pretty, is it?"

She shook her head. "It was horrible."

"But you kept your magic under control?"

"Barely."

"How?"

"I ran the Gauntlet under the tap as you told me to."

"Good." He paused, still frowning and Morgana came over to him, kneeling on the bed, still only dressed in a towel and took a greedy mouthful of the food on the tray.

"So, when are we going to rescue her?"

"What?"

"Well, you were saying something about using my security pass to organise a break-out at night time, and she seems a good a person as any."

"There are others on the list, you know?"

"Oh, right." She smirked slightly. "So who  _are_  we rescuing next?"

He looked at her sharply, as if trying to determine if she was serious or not. "You really want to do this?"

"Yes. I want to help. I want to join Eden. I want to make a difference."

"All right." He was quiet for a while, thinking hard. "Friday night," he said eventually. "That way, assuming we don't set off any alarms, it'll be less obvious the following morning. Gaius does sometimes check in on the sorcerers at the weekend but he usually comes in later and the main prison guards are less inclined to bother at all, assuming that Camelot will have it covered.

"Okay. I'll need more magic lessons before then?"

He shrugged. "That shouldn't be a problem if you're  _really_  staying here."

"If it's all right with you?"

He suddenly grinned. "Oh, so you  _are_  actually asking me then? I did wonder."

"Yeah, sorry I was... distracted."

"I noticed."

There was a long silence. "I should probably unpack then... if that's okay."

He smiled brightly. "I really am pleased you're staying, Morgana. I never thought it possible in my wildest dreams."

"Well, as I said, no matter our relationship or my feelings, it does make sense... practically. I really am worried about being at that flat without you around to keep me grounded."

"Perhaps but, apart from the random dream issue, most of your magical problems are likely to come from being around me." He licked his lips and stroked her bare leg with a long finger. "Then again, it's been a while since  _my_  magic has been seriously tested, so perhaps all of this will help me too." The rest of his hand joined the caress and travelled a little further up her leg.

She gasped. "Are we safe here in this room?"

"We'll move in a minute. Anyway, over the next couple of days, we really should move all unnecessary things from here into the spare room. That can be our dressing room and this one just for sleeping and..." He grinned. "It'll be easier to improve the blocks here when there's less furniture around which could be damaged." He moved forwards to kiss her and she responded, closing her eyes, whilst her Gauntlet starting to gently buzz.

She then felt the strangest magical warmth encompass her, even though she knew nothing had come from her. When she was released from the kiss she found herself in an identical position on the make-shift bed downstairs. Merlin smirked and started to remove his shirt. Grinning broadly, Morgana whipped her towel off and lay down naked on the bed.

"Wow!" Merlin exclaimed, scrambling up in order to remove his clothes more easily.

"Are you sure you can't teach me that spell yet?" she asked. "It looks like fun."

"The transportation one? No, not quite yet. It's pretty advanced and not something you want to go wrong." He was naked now and she stared at him just as hungrily as he'd been staring at her. He took his time going over to open the chest, the only thing resembling a cupboard down here, and then just stood there, grinning wickedly at her.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" she asked.

He grinned. "Transporting us down here used up a nice amount of my spare magic and it made me wonder what other... games we could play to help use our magic up safely."

"Games?"

"Hmm... we've already tried this without really thinking about it but, seeing I'm still all the way over here."

"Yes, but why  _are_  you over there. I'm getting cold and... oooh!"

Morgana was suddenly bombarded with a whole bunch of sensations, as if Merlin was lying next to her and caressing her. He started to move towards her then, circling the bed slowly until he was over her side and still smirking whilst his eyes sparkled with gold.

"Feel free to return the compliment," he said. "If you think you're able to, of course."

"W-what?"

"Perhaps it might be too much of a challenge for you?"

She glared at him, suddenly finding the ability to concentrate, despite the wave of euphoria still pulsating through her. Her gaze was automatically drawn to his erection but she moved her focus slightly to one side, imagining that she was caressing his inner thighs instead.

His sudden gasp reassured her that it was working as she'd hoped, and so she moved her attention to his hips next and then his lower stomach, just circling around where he really want to be touched.

"Two can play at that game," he said then, and she felt the same touch on her leg that she'd experienced upstairs. It was so gentle, little more than butterfly wings caressing the front of her leg, until the sensation also moved inside and very slowly upwards.

Morgana instinctively opened her legs, as if allowing room for his actual hand to reach her, even though it was only the magic, but just as she was about to scold herself for this apparent weakness, she saw Merlin's expression on watching her move and revised the thought. For good measure she moved her feet to face his direction and opened her legs even further, teasing him with a very intimate view. He took a mini step forward and then checked himself.

"First one to physically touch the other, loses," she declared, laughing as he pulled himself back, lips twitching.

He glanced at the clock, now showing eight pm. "We've got work in the morning, so it's a draw if we both hold out until nine."

"Deal."

~o~0~o~

"What's the time?" Morgana gasped as they both grabbed for each other at exactly the same time.

"Quarter to nine," Merlin managed to reply in between desperate kisses. "But it's a draw anyway."

"You definitely moved before me."

"Did not."

There was little reason for further foreplay, so keyed up the pair now were after forty-five minutes of magical stimulation and, as a result, the act itself was incredibly brief.

"Next time, I'm going to use my magic to make sure I last as long as possible," Merlin gasped afterwards. "And then I'll just keep making love to you until you beg me to stop."

"I can't imagine why I would do that," she retorted, throwing her head back in order get more desperately needed oxygen into her. "You'd physically run out of steam before you were able to cause me that much discomfort."

"I could use magic to increase my stamina too."

"So could I."

He laughed loudly and turned to kiss her. The earlier passion had now eased and the touches now turned gentle, tender even, as they lie naked on top of the covers.

"Hungry?"

"A little."

"A snack before bed then," he declared as he got up, wrapping her discarded towel around his waist and heading off towards the kitchen.

**Tuesday Morning**

Morgana woke up along and came downstairs to find Merlin talking on the phone in the kitchen with a mug of coffee in the other hand. He smiled at her, even though he was clearly focusing on the call, and pointed to the other cup indicating she should pour her own.

However, the sight had reminded Morgana that she hadn't checked her mobile phone for a while and had promised she'd keep it to hand. Gesturing to Merlin – because she really wasn't certain about trying to talk to him telepathically in this situation – she made her way back upstairs to the bedroom and rummaged in her bag until she found it. She pulled a face as she saw two missed calls and a text message.

"Bother."

Reading the query she quickly returned the call.

'Morgana, you are impossibly difficult to pin down right now,' Arthur complained the moment he picked up the phone.

"Ah yes, sorry. I'm afraid I just can't get used to keeping this thing on."

'You are  _so_  old fashioned.'

She ignored the dig. "I got your message about the meeting though. I'll be there at two."

'Good.' There was a pause. 'Are you all right? I mean, after yesterday.'

She sighed. "I suppose so. It was a bit of a shock, I admit. She was  _so_  young."

'I know.'

She heard the regret in her brother's voice and pounced. "Is that really legal though? She was clearly well under-age."

'The government make exceptions in the case of powerful sorcerers, and the parents are usually prosecuted too, if it's obvious they withheld information from the authorities.'

"But what about situations like mine? How do you know such an incident isn't an accident."

'Exceptions can be made, of course, but I understand, in this case, her outburst was definitely  _not_  an accident.'

"She's so young though. Surely it's not fair for her to be punished for her parents' mistake." She winced as she said it, not even believing that much.

'She didn't come to us directly, Morgana. She was at another facility which was trying to help her. When they couldn't cope she was brought to us.'

"I see." She felt a magical push and turned to the door to see Merlin holding her mug of coffee. "I really have to go now. See you this afternoon."

'All right.  _Please_  try to keep your phone on.'

"Yes, I promise."

"Arthur?" Merlin asked her.

"Yes."

"I take it we're keeping 'us' a secret from him?"

"God, yes. I don't plan on telling Gwen either, if I can possibly help it."

"Ashamed of me?"

She opened her mouth to reply to that but closed it again when she saw his smirk. "Why, Merlin? Are you saying that you  _want_  Arthur to know what you've been up to with his sister?"

He winced. "Ah, no. Probably not a good idea."

"So, who were  _you_  on the phone with?"

"I was talking to my contact at Eden and trying to find out who this girl of yours was. She's not one of ours, as far as we can tell."

"Arthur told me a little. He said she was at some other facility until they could no longer hold her. So it's possible her magic came out a bit earlier than this."

"That's helpful, thanks. We really do want to keep track of as many of these Blue prisoners as we can and, that way, we know who to prioritise."

"So, we  _can_  get her out on Friday?" Morgana asked.

"Probably not, as we've others higher up on the list. But I'll definitely try to take a look at her then. Maybe we can get her to tell us her background so we can see where things stand."

"And have you told Eden about me?"

He winced again. "Yeah."

"Why the face?"

"They're a bit suspicious. They're not sure if I should be trusting you."

"What? They think I've seduced you for information?"

He winced again. "That may have been suggested."

She smirked. "Did you tell them that  _you_  were the one who did most of the seducing?"

"I simply told them that I'd helped you to control your magic and that you were grateful." He shrugged. "I can see why they're concerned but, equally, they're weren't here to see just how close you were to losing control. It was absolutely vital that you were trained as soon as possible."

She nodded. "Is there anything I need to do at work today? Anything I need to 'borrow' for you or any information you require?"

Merlin smiled, moving closer in order to give her a gentle kiss. "All I'm going to need is for you to enter your codes, and possibly use your magic for one small thing."

"Oh?"

"We'll discuss it tonight and I'll give you a few new games to play downstairs. I've already got most of my instructions from Eden and so we'll start making plans to see how easy it will be to get this guy out on Friday."

~o~0~o~


	11. The Great Escape

**Friday Evening**

Had it really only been a week?

Morgana couldn't believe how quickly the time had gone. Seven days ago she was a different person - tired, confused and angry – and it was amazing how much better she felt having gained some control over her magic.

And she was in a relationship. Again, something she would have never believed possible last Friday. In many ways the two things were connected – her magic control and her happiness – but, viewed from a different angle, her relationship with Merlin was just a co-incidence. She suspected that, even if they had had no sexual attraction, she would still have made progress with her magic and become his friend.

But would she have still been prepared to fight against Camelot?

Merlin's Eden friends may suspect him of succumbed to sexual and emotional pressure by trusting her, but Morgana was certain that their relationship had little to do with her decision. He had shown her a new way, a  _better_  way and, now that she fully understood what Camelot did to sorcerers who didn't comply, she was even more determined to help them and perhaps convince her family to change their stance in the process.

"Are you ready?" Merlin asked, coming out, dressed in black and carrying just one, very small bag on his back.

"Yes. Do I need anything else?"

"No, I've got most of it. All you need is your security pass."

She nodded, holding it up for him to see before slipping it into the pocket of her black jacket. "Let's do this," she said in a steely tone.

He smiled bleakly and signalled for her to follow him out.

They initially approached from the front of Camelot; a large, impressive stone fronted Georgian building which some might mistake for a museum. Although it looked inviting, the night-time guards and array of security cameras made it a poor choice for entering stealthily, so Merlin lead them around to the back where high, barb-wired walls and ugly metal gates seemed, at first glance, to be even less appealing.

The pair walked quietly down the dark back-street until they drew level with this entrance's security camera. Merlin then gently pushed Morgana up against the pole which housed it and kissed her.

" _What are you doing?"_  she asked him silently.

He pulled away and grinned, simply raising an arm above him and focusing. She saw his eyes glow gold and followed his gaze upwards.

"The camera's now looping the current view," he whispered.

She looked around and grinned. "As in... nothing?"

"Yes. We can move to the gate now."

"I did wonder about that. And it won't register who entered here or at what time?"

"No, it isn't as sophisticated as that. You have high level clearance and, as such, the system has no issue with you entering Camelot at any time."

"Right so..."

They moved to the main gate and Morgana swiped the card against the reader and entered the four digit code. There was a dull click and she smiled bleakly, pushing the gate open.

Next to her, Merlin sighed loudly. "Step two."

She repeated the procedure on the side entrance of the main building - the one that was closest to the laboratory – and the pair then moved confidently down the first flight of service stairs with no concerns about security cameras.

"This isn't the way to the lab," she commented.

"I know," Merlin replied. "There are a number of systems we need to disable first."

"Last time all the alarms went off."

He winced. "Yes. That wasn't ideal but, in the end, causing a fire drill helped to clear the building for me."

"But we wouldn't want that sort of attention at this time of night?"

"No. We need to ensure that all power sources are disabled."

They were now in the basement where they were faced with a long corridor leading to various rooms housing several large, humming metal boxes.

"I've never been down here before," Morgana declared.

Merlin nodded. "This is where I need your magic. Here's the backup generator. As soon as I power down the main system, this is designed to start up. The security system is also programmed to send an alert to the local police station and, obviously we don't want that to happen."

"So?"

"So, I'm going to go down to the main power section and call you telepathically when I'm there. Then we'll do a 'three, two, one' and short-circuit both systems at exactly the same time."

She looked at him wide-eyed. "So  _that_  was what all those training sessions with that power box were all about?"

He nodded. "Just repeat what you did in the lesson. Focus on the controls within the generator and push the power into it hard. There are magical sensors down here but they won't detect our magic if it's controlled and they'll be overridden once all the power is down, anyway." He saw her sceptical look and grinned. "You can do this, Morgana. I have every faith in you."

He kissed her very briefly on the lips and then dashed off, his lanky figure quickly swallowed up by the darkness. Morgana sighed and pushed her senses out to the back-up generator, just getting a feeling for it.

" _Are you ready?"_ Merlin asked shortly afterwards.

" _I think so. I've found the power source."_

" _Good. Latch onto it and get ready to push your magic in. Remember, you're attempting a controlled version of the very thing that's been frustrating you all these years. Just one short, sharp burst of magic. Everything you've got."_

" _Yes, I understand."_

" _All right. Ready...? Three, two... One!"_

She pushed.

And everything was instantly plunged into darkness. She winced, waiting for the alarm, but, fortunately, was greeted by complete silence.

" _We did it?"_

" _Yes. It's all dead,"_ Merlin confirmed.  _"Power, cameras and magic alarms. I'm on my way back to you."_

She saw a blue glow first; the same type that he'd lit on his hand to show how their magic could be controlled and not effect the CD player. She looked at it more closely now, curious.

"How do you do that?"

"I'll teach you later," he replied abruptly. "Right now we need to get moving."

They hurried back up the stairs, Merlin's magical light the only thing guiding their way, and the rushed to the lab only to find the main door firmly closed.

" _That's deliberate, of course,"_  he explained, reverting to telepathy now they were in such a sensitive area.  _"The secure sections are designed to self-lock if ever the power goes out."_

" _So, what now?"_

" _We use magic, of course. The sensors are all down now so there's really no problem."_

He held out his hand towards the door until it clicked and then pushed it open with Morgana following close behind. The pair then moved through the darkness straight to the secure door and Merlin focused again, although it took quite a bit longer for this second click to sound.

" _Why the delay?"_ she asked.

" _That one has a few extra layers of security on it – even with the lack of power in this area."_

He lead her down a long, narrow corridor and Morgana was suddenly bombarded with strange sounds and sensations. The intense emotions and sense of fear she experienced was so great that she was stopped in her tracks.

" _Ssh, it's all right,"_  Merlin said coming back towards her and resting a gentle hand on her arm.  _"You're magical power is allowing you to sense the others' pain. The next few minutes won't be easy for you, but you have to understand that we can't rescue everyone tonight, no matter how much we may want to."_

" _I know,"_ she replied, gritting her teeth.  _"We have a specific mission to complete."_

" _Well, we actually have three. What cell was your new girl put in?"_

" _Six-B."_

" _Right. And_   _the_   _first thing I need to do is talk to her."_

Merlin halted suddenly, although Morgana had no idea how he could know where they were in this claustrophobic darkness. With his back to her, the blue light was shielded and so she only heard the click of the cell gate and the shadow of him disappearing inside. She heard him whisper, although she couldn't make out any words and then, a moment later, he was back.

" _Her name's Gilly and she really wasn't coping that well,"_ he said.  _"So I dropped her down to Green. Although, obviously, her Gauntlet is still showing Purple."_

" _Will she be able to use her magic now?"_

" _No. No more than you could before I trained you. It'll just make her feel less ill and, now I have a few of her details, it'll be easier for us to find out more about her. Now for our main target."_

He continued to hurry them down the corridor until they reached another point. Again there was the click of a door, followed by whispers, but this time Merlin emerged with someone. Morgana could see little in this darkness but she was fairly certain he was male; about her own height but considerably more stocky.

Merlin rushed them both down the corridor, past the quiet moans and strong emotions of fear and pain and it took all of Morgana's self control not to blast every single lock and free them all there and then. Back in the larger space of the laboratory, Merlin's blue light seemed much brighter and Morgana could now see more of the man they'd rescued; middle-aged, thick set and not looking at all well. Merlin had his hand out against the door they'd just come through, obviously using his magic to seal it shut.

"How are you feeling?" he whispered to the man.

"Better now you've taken that thing off."

He nodded. "Don't attempt any magic for a while. Your body will need time to recover."

Merlin looked around the room before rushing over to one of the Gauntlet cabinets.

"What are you doing?" Morgana asked.

"Eden's asked for one of the latest models to study," he replied, unlocking the door with magic and taking a Gauntlet out.

Morgana rolled her eyes. "Merlin, why didn't you just ask me to bring you one? I wondered why the numbers never quite added up. I could easily tweak the inventory so the discrepancy isn't noticed you know?"

He gaped at her. "Oh, I hadn't thought of that."

"Idiot," she retorted affectionately.

"Thanks," he replied, coming back over with a sheepish grin. "So... could you?"

She shook her head with a smile. "Of course."

He smiled again, his face looking ghostly from the reflected blue light. "Now I'm going to transport Robert out. There's complex magic within the tunnel which makes it close to impossible, which is why we needed to bring him out here first."

"I see."

"I'm going to take him straight to the teaching room at home and then jump back here to collect you."

"Okay," Morgana said. "But why can't we  _all_  leave that way now?"

"Because you and I need to restore the power and I can't transport out once it's back up. Not only that, but the security system will automatically inform the local police station if they don't get some feedback fairly soon, so I can't hang around."

"Oh, I see."

"Perhaps you could make a start," he suggested. "Did you see how I locked that door?"

"I-I think so."

"The main lab door should be easier. If you manage that, go down to the generator and wait for me there. If you don't, stay here and I'll return to you position in a few minutes, wherever you are."

"All right."

And then, Merlin put an arm around the man they'd rescued, dropped his head and the pair disappeared in a whirlwind of air, dust and darkness.

Morgana remembered to breathe out.

After another few seconds, she rushed to the main door and closed it, focusing on the mechanism and remembering all her magic lessons with Merlin. Her Gauntlet was now bursting with magic, due to the strain this mission was putting on her emotions, and so all she really had to do was focus on controlling it; ensuring she allowed only the smallest amount of magic to leak out.

She saw the way the lock and the mechanism worked so clearly then. The magical and digital locks were still in place, having been simply bypassed by Merlin's special brand of magic, which mean that all she needed to do was lock the door mechanically. Nice and easy. She took another couple of deep breaths and focused, allowing her magic to travel through her Gauntlet and into the door.

The loud clunk made her jump, but her panic was short lived, and she instinctively knew she'd achieved her goal. With a smirk at her success, Morgana turned and made her way back downstairs to the basement.

Time appeared to drag but, finally, she felt another rush of wind and Merlin appeared, not too far in front of her. He looked around, as if surprised by her location.

"The lab door?" he asked.

"I locked it. I noticed you only left the mechanical lock for me to worry about."

He nodded and grinned. "Good. Now all we need to do is put the power back up."

"Just like that?"

"This time I'll do both, if you don't mind? The timing isn't so tricky, but there is more subtlety required."

"Can I watch?"

"Of course. Come with me. We need to return the main power before we restart this back-up."

Although Morgana wished she could do more to help, she had to reluctantly accept that Merlin had far more skill as far as this sort of thing was concerned. Hopefully though, if she kept watching carefully, it wouldn't be long before she could do more of this, perhaps setting everything back up whilst he transported the prisoners out.

He grinned as he turned back from switching the main power back on, working out what she was doing.

"That one was especially complicated," he said. "But yes, let me help you switch the back-up on yourself. It will certainly save time in future."

Despite Merlin's earlier comment about the task, Morgana found it exceptionally easy, even if she was being assisted.

"That's it?"

Merlin nodded. "As far as I can tell, all power and sensors are back online. The only thing we need to do is reset that alleyway camera and then, with any luck, it should seem to Camelot that the prisoner has disappeared into thin air, without a single security system being tripped."

She laughed. "Which is why everyone was so confused last Thursday?"

"Yes. I achieved most of the same things then although, of course, I wasn't able to turn off the back-up generator in time, which is why all the alarms went off."

They made the way out of the side door and gate; Merlin quickly checking the locks to make sure all was well, before moving back under the camera. Then he lifted his hand up, set it back to its usual setting before retracing their steps out of view, hopefully showing no sign of their presence on any of the systems when they were checked.

~o~0~o~

"How is he?"

When they'd arrived home, the first thing Merlin had done was go into the spare room to check on their new guest. Now he'd come into the kitchen where Morgana handed him a mug of coffee.

"Recovering." Merlin shook his head. "That purple setting is vicious."

She nodded. "I just wish we could get them all out straight away."

"Yeah, so do I. But, it has to be done slowly and carefully."

"But with all your power, all your contacts, surely you could try something else," she pushed. "Find some way to break them all out at the same time?"

He frowned. "Morgana, that's not helpful."

"Or get Eden to push harder, really live up to their reputation and threaten Camelot in some way. Force some concessions from them."

"Now you're just being silly."

She folded her arms and glared at him. "Silly?"

He winced. "Poor word choice, sorry."

"Silly!"

"This is the best way, Morgana, the only way. You  _have_  to see that."

"No, I don't see that and sometimes I don't understand you at all, Merlin. How can you be so calm and happy about this situation?"

"Hey, that's unfair," he retorted, sudden anger flashing in his eyes. "Of course I'm not happy and I thought you knew me well enough by now to understand that." She often forgot that her boyfriend was nowhere near as meek as he appeared. "You've trusted me up to now, so trust me on this. This is bigger than you and me, Morgana and it  _has_  to be done properly."

She shook her head, not at all convinced by his weak argument. "I'm going to try to get some sleep," she said, sharply. "We'll talk about this some more tomorrow morning."

"Oh, will we?"

"If you have the balls, yes."

And she stormed upstairs before Merlin could find a suitable retort.

~o~0~o~


	12. Covering Tracks

**Saturday Morning**

Morgana couldn't remember the last time she'd had a disturbed sleep or bad dream and it seemed that not even her argument with Merlin was going to change that. Either using magic was tiring her out, or the fact it was no longer trapped was making her more relaxed.

In fact, it felt as if she'd only just closed her eyes when Merlin was gently shaking her awake and offering a mug of coffee.

"Are you still cross with me?" he asked.

She shrugged, not certain of the answer herself, simply taking the drink off of him and blowing on its surface. "What will happen now?" she asked instead.

"Now?" He looked confused. "Oh, you mean with Robert? I've sent the usual messages to Eden and so, hopefully, someone will come and collect him later this morning."

"Not transport him?"

Merlin shook his head. "Not over that sort of distance, no. The mile hop from Camelot to here is about my limit, and I can travel further than most."

She nodded. "And when  _will_ we be able to get the next one out?"

"Morgana!"

"Serious question, Merlin. I still think you're all being too cautious here, but I know I'm new to everything and so... I really was just curious."

He sighed. "I'll pass on what I know about Gilly, as well as keeping Eden informed of Uther's response to last night, and then we'll all decide what to do next. Now there are two of us, it may well be possible to do this more often, which should help."

"I suppose."

She took another sip of coffee whilst Merlin watched her closely.

"I was thinking that you should be seen out and about this weekend," he said. "Perhaps go and spend some time with Gwen?"

She shrugged. "All right. What about you?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'll go and see Arthur once all this is sorted." He grinned. "How about we arrange it so that the four of us meet up 'accidentally' this afternoon?"

She nodded. "Best to have us all together when Arthur gets the news, you mean?"

Merlin sighed. "Yes."

"You asked me how I felt about going against my family but I never did ask you. I know you're growing close to my brother and so, I was wondering, don't you feel awkward lying to him about who and what you are?"

"All the time." Merlin shook his head and frowned. "It wasn't the plan, of course. I was simply supposed to get myself into Camelot by way of Gaius who is known to have some sympathies to the cause. Try to get some job with him in the laboratory."

"So, what happened?"

He laughed. "Fate, perhaps?"

"Do be serious."

"I managed to get an appointment with Gaius on a fairly unofficial basis, but the girl at the front desk misunderstood and directed me over to where the candidates for Arthur's PA were waiting."

"Ah, I did wonder. You didn't seem to be the usual 'type'."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "Of course, when confronted by Arthur, I tried to explain the mix-up but simply ended up cheeking him. It then dawned on me that I could take advantage of the error and get myself in an even better position in the process. Although, I admit that I was still surprised when he took me on over the more qualified candidates."

"Did he ever give you a reason?"

"No." He smirked. "Perhaps you should ask him this afternoon."

~o~0~o~

Gwen seemed happy enough with the suggestion of a day in town and the idea was that they would do some shopping in the morning and then head to Arthur's favourite pub during the afternoon.

Morgana was too far away to talk to Merlin telepathically, but she sent him a text with the plan and he replied promptly with a brief 'thanks', which she assumed meant that he'd meet them there later.

"So, I haven't seen much of you lately," Gwen said as they made their way to the first shop.

"Yeah, sorry about that," she replied. "I've been having some issues at the flat. Everything seems to be breaking down at the same time - isn't it always the way? - so, I spent most of this last week trying to book appointments and listening to numerous variations of 'The Four Seasons' whilst being put on hold."

Gwen laughed. "Oh, I've definitely been there."

"And has Arthur asked you out yet?"

Gwen gaped at the unexpected question. "What? Why would you...? Why would he do that?"

She smirked. "He must be losing his touch."

"Morgana? What do you know?"

"Nothing, really. Just a feeling I got. Hey, look at those shoes. I just  _have_  to have them."

**Saturday Afternoon**

" _All done. I'm at Arthur's now and trying to persuade him to come out to the pub."_

"Ah!" The unexpected telepathic communication from Merlin had Morgana suddenly sway on her feet.

"What is it?" Gwen asked. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah fine," she replied to Gwen before silently talking to Merlin.  _"We're still shopping but I expect we'll be there in about forty-five minutes."_

" _You're_  still  _shopping?"_

She was quite unable to prevent a giggle escaping at his incredulous comment, making Gwen even more concerned.

"Is it your Gauntlet?" she asked. "Is it playing up again?"

"No, it's been a lot better lately, but perhaps I am getting a little tired. Probably time to call it a day?"

"Okay. I think I will just go and get that scarf though and then, yes, as you said, time for a sit down and a drink."

~o~0~o~

The Rising Sun was one of the few old fashioned pubs in this part of town which had  _not_  been turned into a modern bar. It had the homely feel which Morgana had always preferred and Real Ale on tap which her brother insisted was the only acceptable beverage, making it an obvious choice for their plan. In fact, the two girls had only just started their drinks when Morgana saw Merlin and Arthur come in through the door.

"Oh, no," she said, acting annoyed. "What are  _they_  doing here?"

"Who?" Gwen looked up and saw the pair entering and her eyes widened. "Oh."

"Keep your head down," Morgana hissed, rather enjoying the act she was putting on. "With any luck, they won't notice us."

"Hello, what a co-incidence," Arthur said brightly, striding over to their alcove. Behind him Merlin smirked slightly.

"Yes, you  _must_  come and join us," Gwen enthused, starting to make space for the boys whilst Morgana continued to pretend she was annoyed by the interruption.

"Looks like you've been shopping."

"Wonderful powers of observation, Merlin," Arthur teased, as he helped move some of the numerous bags off the comfy sofas. "I knew there must be  _some_  reason why I employed you."

"And why  _did_  you employ him?" Morgana asked, curious to get her brother perspective on Merlin's earlier story.

"No idea. I think it was due to some mix up."

"Aw, be nice," Gwen said. "You know you'd be lost without him."

"Well, I wouldn't go  _that_  far but it really was a mistake, apparently. Merlin reckons he wasn't even there to apply for that job."

"I wasn't."

" _Everything all right?"_ Morgana asked Merlin silently.

" _Yeah, Robert got off with no problem and there's no reaction from Camelot yet."_

" _Surely someone would notice when they gave out the morning meal?"_

" _Not if it was a casual guard who didn't know which cells were occupied."_

" _Oh, I suppose not."_

"So, are you getting the pints in or not, Merlin?" Arthur's voice cut through their silent conversation.

"Oh yes, of course. Sorry."

He rolled his eyes and headed off to the bar, whilst her brother quickly took the opportunity to sit next to Gwen. Morgana smirked at the sight.

"You got your phone problem sorted yet?" Arthur asked her.

"No, not yet," she replied. "They're taking their sweet time."

"And where were you last weekend when none of us could contact you?" he continued.

"Me? I was just resting."

She had said it as calmly as she could, but Gwen instantly gave her a suspicious look and she quickly ducked her head. Arthur was easy enough to fool but her friend was far more perceptive. And then there was the little matter of Gwen having fancied Merlin for some time. What would she think when she realised that Morgana had managed to get into his bed within one week of knowing him properly. She winced.

" _What's the matter?"_

And, if that wasn't bad enough, Merlin now knew exactly when her emotions were getting out of control.

" _I was worried about how Gwen would take the news about us, as I think she had hoped that you would ask_ her  _out instead."_

" _Oh... I did wonder."_

" _And I'm trying to work out whether I should tell her or..."_

" _We need to get her and Arthur paired up then."_

She smirked.  _"You know, that 's exactly what I was thinking."_

"Here you go." Merlin was back at the table with the drinks and slid in next to Morgana, seeing Arthur had made quite certain he was placed next to Gwen.

"So, why did you take Merlin on if he wasn't actually there for that job?" Morgana asked her brother.

"No idea."

"My natural charm, obviously," Merlin countered.

" _Your_  opinion," Arthur said.

"Or perhaps you just got tired of all the 'yes men' and wanted someone who would actually challenge you," Morgana suggested.

The two boys both pulled faces and Gwen giggled. "I think she's right."

"Not you too, Gwen?" Merlin complained

She grinned. "It's obvious you two are good friends and I think that's very sweet."

"Sweet!" Arthur complained.

"Ah, wrong word?"

"Definitely."

Arthur's phone suddenly buzzed loudly and Morgana automatically glanced at Merlin who was subtly checking his watch, making a note of the time.

"What is it?" Merlin asked as Arthur was checking the text message.

"It's Dad" he replied. "He wants me to call him urgently."

"Ah, right. Shame you need to deal with work stuff at the weekend."

He exchanged another look with Morgana and subtly squeezed her hand under the table as Arthur moved away to make the call. It was only then that she realised quite how much her heart was racing.

~o~0~o~

"There's a problem," Arthur said when he returned a couple of minutes later.

"Oh?"

"Yes, looks like..." He glanced down at Gwen and paused, biting his lip. "Something else has gone missing."

"Some- _thing_?" Gwen replied amused.

"There's no need to be coy," Merlin continued. "It really is a very badly kept secret."

"What is?"

Gwen giggled. "I have access to most of Camelot's files now, Arthur. It really wasn't very difficult to find out that we have prisoners of our own. It even makes a certain amount of sense."

"So, another one's gone missing?" Merlin asked, casually.

"Apparently and, yet again, there's no sign of forced entry, nothing on the cameras and no sign that any of the locks have been tampered with."

Despite having worked hard to achieve that aim, Morgana couldn't help but feel a wave of relief on hearing the news via Arthur.

"But that's not possible, surely," Gwen said. "Not even for sorcerers."

"It shouldn't be, no."

Morgana fished out her phone and frowned. "He's not contacted me. Should I come, do you think?"

"No. No reason for that. I'll just be me, Gaius and Leon he'll want to talk to, I expect." He stood up with a loud sigh. "Coming, Merlin?"

He let go of her hand and rolled his eyes. "Me? Why me?"

"Because you're my PA of course. Or had you forgotten?"

"I know I hadn't forgotten that it's Saturday afternoon."

"Shut up, Merlin."

" _You're really going?"_ she asked him, silently.

" _Of course. The good thing about this job is that I'm mostly invisible to someone like Uther and you know I'm the last person in the world he'd suspect?"_

" _Be careful, won't you."_

" _What for? I'm just trailing after Arthur as usual. Anyway, it's good. I can find out far more about what they know once I'm in there."_

" _Or what they_ don't _know."_

During this the four friends were saying a more casual goodbye out loud and promising to meet up again.

"I've an idea," Merlin said. "Why don't we all meet back here this evening?"

" _Merlin, I thought I was getting another lesson."_

" _You are... trust me."_

"That sounds like a good idea," Arthur said. "Depending on my father's mood, I may well be in need of a drink... or three."

"Gwen?" Merlin asked.

"I don't see why not?" She looked at Morgana who shrugged.

" _What are you up to, Merlin?"_

" _Simple. They'll turn up and we won't. Hopefully that'll give Arthur the excuse he needs to ask her out."_

" _Sneaky."_

"Merlin! Now! You know what my dad's like? He'll expect me there about a minute  _before_  he sent me that text."

"Coming, Prat," he replied, whilst scurrying off.

"Okay," Gwen said, turning towards her with a large grin. "Spill!"

"What?"

"You and Merlin. I saw the way you two were looking at each other."

"Ah... what?" She was quite certain she hadn't given anything away.

"All those little glances and raises of eyebrows. Like you had this whole secret language going on."

"Oh..." Obviously their silent communication was showing on their faces. She bit her lip. "The evening out last Friday was... not entirely unpleasant."

"Aha!"

"You're not supposed to sound gleeful, Gwen. You're supposed to be cross with me."

"What, for going out with Merlin?" She shook her head. "It's fine. It was just this... idea in my head. I think perhaps our friendship is more important, you know?"

" _Our_  friendship?"

"Well yes. But I actually meant mine and Merlin's. Perhaps if he and I did date...?"

"Oh, I see."

"So, are you?"

"Am I, what?"

Gwen gave her friend an exasperated look. "Dating Merlin?"

Morgana shook her head, exceptionally reluctant to answer, but now more because of their midnight jaunt than this friendship.

"Fine," Gwen said with a smirk. "Keep your secrets. But I'll find out one way or another, either through Merlin or Arthur."

"What?" Morgana shook her head, urgently. "Not Arthur, please. If he even suspected..."

"Good point." She smiled again. "So, I shall take that reaction as confirmation, shall I?"

She winced. "Merlin and I may have arranged another... drinks session."

Gwen grinned smugly, apparently pleased at the concession.

~o~0~o~


	13. Testing The Shields

**Saturday Evening**

"Well?" Morgana asked when Merlin arrived back at the house at around six.

"We're in the clear," he replied with a shrug, heading towards the kitchen to grab a drink. "As we suspected, the systems show nothing out of the ordinary."

"That's good then."

"Hmm."

"What?"

He switched on the kettle and jumped up onto the tall counter stool with a sigh. "Leon was suggesting an upgrade."

"An upgrade? To what?"

"The security locks. So we'd know who had accessed them and at what time."

She winced. "Oh. That could be a problem."

"Yeah. Uther seemed strangely reluctant though, as if not even thinking that someone high up in the system could be involved, which doesn't make any sense."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he's the one who's been talking about spies within Camelot all this time."

Morgana laughed brightly. "Only the servants though."

"That what? Servants?"

"Yeah, the slobs, the lowly employees." She smirked. "People like you. Only people like me have those passes. People he knows: Family, friends of the family and his private school buddies."

"Seriously? Class elitism, in this day and age?"

"Of course. I thought you understood that. You were the one commenting on how no-one would suspect you. That's not just because you look... unremarkable..."

"Thanks," Merlin mumbled.

"... but because you're a PA. That's why Uther barely notices you, because of your class, nothing else."

Merlin looked offended. "I'd hardly describe myself as lower class."

"Really? Have you traced your family tree?"

"Well yes, I supposed, if you go way back they were all..."

"Farmers, servants, factory workers. I know it's wrong, Merlin. I know it doesn't seem to make any sense in this day and age, but Uther's like that – old fashioned – and so yes, that's why he's dismissing Leon's suggestion. He just can't believe that those he's given high level security passes to could possibly betray him."

Merlin shook his head as he poured the boiling water into two mugs and gave them a stir before handing one over to Morgana.

"Well, unfortunately, he's not completely dismissed the suggestion. Arthur and Gaius backed Leon up and so, yes, it is being considered."

"And, if it  _does_  happen?" she asked.

He shrugged. "We'd have to do what I did last week. Somehow work it together during office hours."

"That could be tricky."

"Yeah." He sighed and took a swig of coffee. "I'll worry about it if and when it happens. Right now though we need to prepare to get Gilly out of there."

Morgana smiled brightly. "She's definitely next on the list then?"

He nodded. "We usually focus on the most vulnerable. The younger ones, obviously, but those with the strongest magic too."

She nodded. "Because they'll be of more use to Eden?"

He frowned. "No, not really. Mostly because the Purple Gauntlets effect them more."

"Oh."

"As much as we might hate leaving those less powerful down there for a long time, they're not really suffering that much. In most cases they're just dozing and not really aware of their surroundings. However, those with strong magic are often in genuine pain, as you saw and heard for yourself. Those people are our priority along with the ones who aren't so strong physically; the very young and old, for example."

She sighed. "There has to be a better way, though. A way to get them all out?"

"You ask that now? Now, when you've seen how hard it was to free just one?"

"But if you had more people. One, big attack?"

He shook his head. "Not now. We're not ready."

"But..."

"We  _have_  to go slowly, Morgana. If we're exposed, if  _I'm_  found out especially, then we're back to square one. At least this way we can make some difference, no matter how small."

"But you are thinking about it, yes?" she pushed. "Eden  _is_  making plans?"

He frowned. "There's always talk, but it's not that easy to come to an agreement. You and I are proof enough of that. Come, the only chance of ever doing more is for you to gain more control of your magic so, let's get on with the lessons. We need to work on your subtlety so you can turn the power back on by yourself and save us some time."

"Merlin!" She was starting to understand what he was getting at, but it didn't make her any less frustrated.

He smiled slightly at her exasperation. "I'll make a deal with you, then. Work on my tasks for..." He looked at the clock. "One hour and then, after that, I'll teach you how to conjure a personal light."

She brightened at the comment. "Like the blue one on your hand?"

"Yes. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes, of course. One hour." She nodded furiously and stood up. "Lead me to those marbles."

**Saturday Night**

"Have you checked your phone?" Merlin said with a grin, coming out of the bathroom in his pyjama bottoms as Morgana was getting into bed.

"Yes." She laughed, holding it up. "Gwen and Arthur sent me loads of texts earlier asking why I wasn't at the pub."

"Me too. "I notice the messages stop abruptly after eight though."

Morgana smirked. "I wonder why?"

He nodded, looking around the now sparsely furnished room critically before getting into bed next to her.

"You think we're all right to sleep in here now?" she asked.

"Perhaps but, if you're not too tired, I could do with your help making it even more secure."

"How?"

"I just think that the shield around this room will work even better if it's been created by both of us. Double the power to contain double the power?"

"Double?" she asked brightly.

He winced. "I was being polite."

"Yeah. I'm quite aware of how far I have to go." She couldn't help but sound bitter.

Merlin smiled gently at her, placing a hand on his arm. "Morgana, I've been consciously using magic for over twenty years. You've been at it for eight days. Cut yourself some slack."

She shrugged. "I know you're right."

"Good," Merlin said with a broad grin. "Tell Arthur that the next time you see him."

"What, that you're a sorcerer?"

"That I'm right!" he said, pretending to hit her on the arm for her cheek.

She nodded, smirking. "Arthur, the other night, Merlin said to tell you that he's always right... just before he shagged me senseless in his bed."

"Is that what you're expecting?"

"What I'm hoping certainly.  _If_  you think you're up for it?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Well, we will need to test out the shield once we've strengthened it and I can't think of a better way to do it."

"Good, good." She grinned. "Let's get on with it then."

He gaped at her. "Ah, the shield first."

She smirked. "That's what I was talking about."

~o~0~o~

"Don't stop!" she begged as, for some unfathomable reason, Merlin abruptly stopped making love to her, just as she was beginning to get nicely worked up.

"I've no intention of stopping," he said. "But you did say you wanted to lose all your senses."

"W-what?"

"We're changing position." He sat up on the bed and pulled her forwards, encouraging her towards him. "Sit up on my lap and we'll continue like that for a while."

"You're giving me orders now?"

"No, suggestions. Five minutes like this and we'll go for another position."

She arched an eyebrow. "You reckon you'll last that long?"

"Seeing how much spare magic I'm using right now, yes."

She smirked. "Oh... right... another challenge." She moved closer as he'd asked, curling her long legs around his hips. "Like this?"

"Yeah," he mumbled, capturing her lips with his, whilst wriggling into position. "Oh, yes..." That comment was a gasp of pleasure.

It was certainly interesting, allowing them get in some serious kissing and caressing in the process but, for some reason, it didn't feel quite right and it wasn't long before Morgana had pushed Merlin flat on his back, at right angles to the bed and begun quite aggressively riding him. Again, he allowed her to get seriously worked up before sitting back up and flipping  _her_  onto her back. Then he scrambled off the bed and pulled her ankles towards him.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Position four," he said, his voice now annoyingly steady.

"You're too tall," she decided as he stood up next to the bed and pulled her towards the edge.

"We'll see. I'll just use some more magic to support you necessary."

"Merlin!"

"Let's give it a try," he replied. "Your choice next, I promise."

~o~0~o~

"God, Merlin, what books have you been reading?" Morgana gasped, five positions later, now on her hands and knees on the bathroom floor.

"Just say the word and we can just go back to good old missionary position next door," he teased.

"Ah... no... that's fine," she gasped. "Best not to push the bedroom shield too much, as you said."

It had survived the first three positions perfectly well but, seeing how much both were pushing things, Merlin had decided it wasn't worth the risk and they'd moved in here to continue their fun and games with all the taps turned on.

"Are you getting sore yet?" he asked her as, all around them, the water swirled and splashed.

"No more than you. I can use magic too, you know?"

"Good, good."

"And there's no way you'd last this long without it."

He laughed. "I don't deny it."

"Let's  _really_  put that to the test, shall we?"

This time she was the one to pull away from him, turning and pushing him roughly onto his back, before straddling him the wrong way, whilst facing his feet. Then she leant down abruptly, took him into her mouth in one go and sucked hard.

"God, Morgana! A little warning next time?"

She didn't reply, simply repeating the move, this time adding her tongue to the attack. She wiggled herself backwards a bit, making sure she was in the optimal position; her head at his hips, and his at hers.

"Ying and yang," Merlin mumbled between gasps. "Good position choice, Morgana. Most interesting view."

"Stop talking, Merlin and find some other use for that tongue of yours."

She smirked at the slightly strangled sound he uttered as she went back on the attack and felt triumphant. It looked like she would be the one to bring this game to its conclusion, as it was obvious he was starting to lose his magical control and would definitely come before her. She used his distraction to deploy her own magic in her favour, giving him even more stimulation.

And it might just have worked, if Merlin hadn't chosen that moment to do exactly what she'd asked of him, using his tongue in much the same way as she was.

Morgana had no idea which of them finished first and therefore lost the game but, by that point, she was long past caring.

~o~0~o~

"Wake up, sleepyhead." Merlin was shaking her gently but also placing gentle kisses and the small bits of bare skin he could read. Morgana had somehow managed to bury herself well beneath the covers.

Actually, she was surprised to find herself in bed. She couldn't remember much after that last sixty-nine position on the bathroom floor. Served her right for mentioning 'shag' and 'senseless' in the same sentence to Merlin. She might have known he would have attempted to take her literally.

She went to sit up and groaned. "All right, now I  _am_  sore."

He laughed gently, kissing her shoulder. "I admit that I am too. Not complaining though. Last night was fun."

"Hmm. We do still need to actually test this bedroom properly though. As in a normal, non-magic session in here to see if the shield holds right to the end."

"Oh, all right." Merlin's expression suddenly turned innocent as he clambered over her and made to kneel in-between her legs. He smirked at her. "Ready?"

"What?" She pushed at him. "No, get off, Merlin. I know you couldn't handle it right now either." She saw his expression and shook his head. "Yes, I know we keep giving each other challenges but this time I'm serious." Then it was her turn to smirk. "Let's at least wait until this afternoon."

He grinned looking at the clock. "You know it's ten o'clock already?"

She shook his head. "Up you! Haven't we got planning to do?"

He turned suddenly more serious. "Yes. Yes we have."

"What about the extra security Leon was asking for?"

"It looks like Uther's considering the idea but, as far as I know, it should be just the same as before."

"What if they've added something without letting us know?"

"I'm certain they haven't. I've been able to get into most of the security meetings and Arthur tells me everything, anyway. I'm not sure how long that will last but I'm keen to take full advantage of it in the meantime."

"But what if they have added something new?"

"Then we'll just have to improvise," he replied, before holding a hand up to stop her next question. "Breakfast first, then we'll talk about the rescue in detail."

"But..."

"There's honestly no point in speculating about these things. We'll just have to take it all one step at a time and hope for the best."

~o~0~o~


	14. Getting Caught

Gilly's rescue was even easier than Robert's as, this time around, Merlin had no need to explain things and Morgana had gained far more control of her magic. So, the camera was looped, the gates and doors opened and the pair headed quietly downstairs in order to knock out both power systems at the same time. Then it was up to the laboratory to unlock the doors, before quickly and quietly rescuing the prisoner and moving her back into the main room.

Morgana felt instantly protective of the girl and wanting to check her over, but Merlin simply shook his head, not even bothering to talk to her silently. With a small smile he put his arm around Gilly and disappeared, leaving Morgana to lock the laboratory door and head back down to the generators to wait for his return.

Then they switched the power back on, locked the doors and gates behind them and returned the camera to its normal view. Once done, the pair took their time walking away, making sure any other cameras caught the image of a darkly clad pair of lovers apparently making their drunken way across town.

**Two Weeks Later**

It wasn't long before Eden started to fully appreciate the benefit of having two Silver Sorcerers on the inside in Camelot and, as Merlin had suspected, started to suggest other ideas, including the possibility of rescuing two prisoners at a time. Morgana gave Merlin a gleeful 'I told you so' smirk when he told her the news.

"It'll depend on a few things though," Merlin told her. "And I certainly can't transport  _more_  than two people at the same time."

"Oh." She had to admit that she hadn't considered that possibility. "What if we got someone else to go in with us then? Another skilled sorcerer?"

He looked briefly confused. "You mean another Silver sorcerer?"

"Yes." He just stared at her. "What?"

"Morgana, there  _are_  no other Silver sorcerers."

"What? I know you said we were rare but I thought perhaps... at Eden...?"

"At the moment it's just us two."

"At the moment?"

He shrugged. "Well there is a hint that there's another around somewhere, and there is this... prophecy, I suppose, which says..." He shook his head. "But no, there's currently no-one else who can use their magic undetected in this way. That's the main reason I'm here, in fact. No-one else in Eden would be able to get away with any of this."

"Oh..." She fell silent for a while, contemplating this. "But a Blue sorcerer then? One who could just come in with us and do nothing other than help with the transport."

"Perhaps, but I'm not sure how possible that would be either, not in an environment such as this."

"I suppose... I had this idea that a whole group could come and..." She waved a hand.

"What? Just blast Camelot to the ground and transport them all out, directly to Eden?"

She winced, only now understanding why Merlin had dismissed her idea out of hand the other week.

"I remember you saying now, that only  _you_  would be able to take them the mile to your house."

"Yes, our next strongest sorcerer could probably get them outside the walls but that would hardly be ideal, especially considering how weak some of them are." He sighed. "To be honest, Morgana, I'm not even sure if  _I_  could carry two people all the way to my house. We might have to look for somewhere closer."

"What about my flat?"

He looked up at her and blinked, contemplating. "That... just might be possible."

"I'm not sure how you could try it out though."

"Neither am I and, anyway, despite Eden's suggestion, we have to take into account that we can't keep on doing this indefinitely. Every time someone 'disappears', Uther's panic increases and more security is suggested. It's really not worth us getting caught and there may be the need to lie low for weeks, even months before we move the next one out."

"But we can't stop now."

He sighed. "I know. I agree that we need to get the others out if we can, it's just..."

"Yes?"

"You were right before, about Arthur."

"What do you mean?"

"I hate it, Morgana. I hate lying to him. Spying on him. Using every little bit of information I overhear him discussing to use against Camelot. That and... us. I'm not sure which of the two would be worse as far as he was concerned."

As it turned out, that question would very soon be answered.

Having known that Morgana's telephone excuse wouldn't last forever, the couple spent the following weekend at her flat, moving all the delicate items into the living room and the second bedroom which Morgana used as an office. These would now be the two non-magic rooms which were set up to look and feel perfectly normal to visitors.

The main bedroom had now been de-cluttered and, along with the bathroom, were subjected to a barrage of magic spells and shields. This meant that Morgana could let off steam at home if required and would also allow Merlin to stay the night if it were more convenient.

During all of this, the couple had made the mistake of not checking their phones and, after a morning of intense magic usage, it was fairly inevitable that their new shields got a thorough testing; starting in the bedroom and ending up very roughly against the sliding shower door.

They came out pink-faced and giggling, small towels barely covering the essential parts, only to be confronted by Arthur lounging on an armchair in the living room; arms folded and jaw clenched.

Merlin's gave out an incredibly high-pitched yelp, whilst Morgana simply folded her arms and glared.

"Arthur, what the hell are you doing in my flat?"

"You gave me a spare key." His voice was very quiet and far too calm.

"Ah, Morgana perhaps..."

She could hear the danger in the tone of her brother's voice just as well as Merlin, but she'd never been intimidated by Arthur before and certainly wasn't going to start now.

"That was for emergencies," she replied as Merlin moved very slightly behind her, as if seeking her protection. "Not for just waltzing in and out whenever you felt like it."

" _Give me your wrist."_  Merlin's silent voice sounded urgent.

"Seeing that neither Gwen nor I could contact you we decided to continue the search on foot. " Arthur explained. " As I had a spare key, I thought I'd try here first."

She paused whilst trying to process Merlin's request as well as get her defence ready for the rest of this confrontation with Arthur. She was  _not_  a child, and whom she dated was none of her brother's concern. She moved her left hand to keep a firmer hold of her towel whilst moving her right one around her side towards Merlin. He grabbed it urgently and she swayed as her Gauntlet was abruptly snapped back on.

Her heart started to race as she belatedly understood Merlin's earlier panic. Hopefully Arthur had been far too shocked by the situation to note that neither of them had been wearing their supposedly immovable Gauntlets.

"So, you found us," she replied, trying to sound a lot calmer than she now felt.

"Merlin?"

"Ah... hello, Arthur."

"Care to tell me how long this has been going on for?"

Morgana answered instead. "I don't know, Arthur. How long have you been going out with  _your_  current girlfriend?" It was a gamble, but Arthur's expression seemed to confirm their suspicions. "Aha!"

"That's not the same thing at all."

"Really?"

"Considering what I was hearing just now? No."

"When you let yourself into my flat unannounced!"

"Morgana!"

"What?"

Arthur shook his head and stood up. "Look this is a hard enough conversation to have at the best of times, but seeing your two like... this... isn't making it any easier. Please go and get dressed and then check your phones so you know where you're supposed to be this afternoon.

~o~0~o~

If all that wasn't bad enough, Morgana came back out of the bedroom to find Uther had now arrived and was sitting on the sofa which Arthur had recently vacated. Gwen was also here, mouthing a 'sorry' to her friend, although Morgana couldn't imagine what more she could have done to prevent this – seeing how many panicked text messages she'd sent her during the last couple of hours.

"What did I tell you about remembering to check your phone?" Uther demanded as she re-entered the living room.

"Sorry."

"If you were here all along why didn't you answer your land-line at least. I thought you said it was working now?"

"Ah... yes."

"So..."

"I got ah... distracted."

Arthur scoffed loudly just as Merlin walked out of her bedroom. On seeing the company he froze like a startled rabbit and Morgana was convinced he was going to turn around and run straight back again. Fortunately he stood his ground.

"You?" Uther frowned, confused. "What are  _you_  doing here?" He looked over at Arthur.

"Looks like I found my missing PA too," his son replied with false brightness.

Merlin sidled over to Arthur and was rewarded by a clip around the ear. "Ow!"

"You deserve far worse. Castration if I had my way."

"Arthur!" Gwen scolded.

"What?" Slowly Uther was catching up. "Do you mean to say that...  _this_  is the reason you've been so hard to contact lately, Morgana? You and Arthur's PA?"

"Yes," she replied, lifting her chin defiantly.

"Well, I can't allow that, obviously."

"What!" she exclaimed. "Are you serious? You can't decide whom I see. What century do you think this is?"

"Well, we shall need to undertake more background checks, at least. Make sure he's suitable."

"Honestly, Father?" Arthur said. "As if he hasn't been subjected to our most intense security checks as it is. I mean, I'm shocked to find out about this relationship too but... Morgana's right, it really isn't anyone else's concern." He turned to look at her then. "Unless, of course, it directly affects her work in any way."

She nodded at that, understanding that he was correct in that case, as well as realising that they would have her brother's reluctant support if for no other reason than to deflect Uther's attention from  _his_  current relationship.

"And your Gauntlet issues?" Uther asked her.

"Solved now," she replied brightly. "Honestly I've not had it misbehave since Gaius last adjusted it." Which was true, even if that was due to Merlin rather than her boss.

Uther just stared at her, frowning for a moment giving a curt nod and turning towards the door. "Well, the meeting is long overdue," he said. "Come on, you two. Time to go."

Morgana looked over her shoulder at Merlin who shrugged.  _"In this case I'm not invited. Doubly so now. Just take care whilst you're there and try to keep calm."_

She sighed.  _"I shall certainly do my best."_

~o~0~o~

"Why have I been invited to this?" Morgana whispered to Gaius as she sat down at the conference table next to him.

"Well, I understand that it always was Uther's intention to let you into his inner circle," the old man replied. "But the issues with your Gauntlet have made him hesitate."

"And now it's under control...?"

Gaius nodded. "Now we just need to see if we can actually get you to use magic."

"Ah." She frowned, wondering whether it would be best to keep pretending she had no magic or suddenly appear to be able to use it. A question for Merlin later perhaps but, right now, she needed to focus on this meeting.

In addition to her family and Gaius, Uther had also brought in the head of security, Leon as well as his own PA, Geoffrey, who was mostly here to take notes.

"Yet another escape last night," Uther begun. "This is quite unacceptable. Prisoners disappearing into thin air despite our best attempts. We need some serious ideas of how to stop these abductions."

"Honestly, I'm at a loss to explain it," Leon said. "I understand that transporting is a very difficult skill, one which few sorcerers could accomplish."

"Although apparently there is now at least one who can hop in and out of the cells at will."

Leon shook his head. "I'm told that such a feat should be impossible because of the shields within that area."

"It's true," Gaius said. "I can assure you, it is impossible to use magic within the cells, both because of the shields and because it is below ground, which makes matters harder. In addition, we have special water pipes running within the walls. Something which is well known to dampen magic."

"And what about in the laboratory?" Uther pushed. "If the prisoners are escaping into there...?"

"Impossible," Gaius said firmly. "The door can only be opened from this side."

"So there  _must_  be a spy here?" Arthur pushed.

"The security required though..."

"But someone with magic could, yes?" Leon said. "We don't have the same shields in the laboratory?"

"Well, no. Otherwise I couldn't work there but, I assure you, transportation, even if it were possible, would instantly set off the magic alarms."

"And there's no sign of tampering?" Uther asked Leon.

"Ah... no..."

He pounced on the pause. "But?"

"Detailed scrutiny has revealed a minor discrepancy in the time logs. It wasn't something we'd looked for before but..."

"So the power  _did_  go out?" Uther asked.

"No, that just isn't possible," Gaius insisted. "The backup generator wouldn't allow it."

"Yes but... magic?" Arthur suggested.

Gaius shook his head. "That has all been taken into account. I tell you, it's just not possible. It's totally baffling."

"Any thoughts or suggestions?" Uther asked. "Any at all?"

"Extra cameras?" Arthur suggested. "Small, spy ones rather than big ones which work on the power grid."

"Yes, that's good," Leon said. "And perhaps we could employ some night guards to help keep an eye on things?"

"I'm not sure that second idea would be much use," Gaius said. "Not if you're dealing with powerful sorcerers."

"Is there anything else?" Uther pushed. "Any rumour, any hints that there could be sorcerers strong enough to bypass these measures?"

"Nothing serious," Gaius replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Just... old stories... folk lore." He winced. "Prophecy."

Uther scoffed at this, but Arthur seemed suddenly interested.

"Could there be any truth to such rumours?" he asked.

"I'm not sure how to verify it. Such texts are ancient and the accounts of 'all-powerful wizards' don't take into account our very advanced mechanical and computerised systems. The only thought I have is this issue of some people's magic not being accurately measured."

"Like mine?" Arthur asked.

"I was thinking more of Morgana."

"Me?" she asked, innocently. She now realised she had the answer to her earlier question. "But you've been trying to teach me for ages."

He shrugged.

"Gaius?" Uther asked.

"Either she has no magic and it really was just her Gauntlet misbehaving, or she does have it but cannot use it. If there was someone else like her who couldn't be measured and  _could_  control their magic...?"

"Is that possible?"

Gaius shrugged. "I can't see how we could prove it. Not if our equipment can't test for it."

There was a long silence whilst everyone contemplated that and Morgana took the opportunity to communicate with Merlin and let him know what had been discussed.

" _We'll need to think about how we can work around that spy camera idea,"_  he said.  _"Gaius is right though that the idea of night guards should be less of an issue but, still, it is a constant game of cat and mouse. It always has been."_

She couldn't believe how calmly he was taking this although, to be honest, Merlin  _always_  appeared calm, even in the face of genuine problems. Well, hopefully he was right and these extra security measures wouldn't require them to change the upcoming missions they'd planned.

~o~0~o~


	15. Minor Crime

**Thursday Morning**

Fortunately Merlin and Morgana's positions within the company meant they were kept constantly informed about all new security measures including the exact locations of the new spy cameras Uther had ordered. It certainly made the next few escapes a little more complicated, but Morgana got the impression that Merlin actually enjoyed the challenge of having his skills tested in that way.

She had quickly come to realise that her boyfriend defied all the rules about sorcerers, but whether that was because he'd been able to use magic for so long or something else entirely, she wasn't certain. She may well be classed as a Silver sorcerer, but it hadn't taken her long to realise that she'd never gain the casual control which Merlin seemed to have over magic – as if it were a part of him somehow. Was he exceptional even for a Silver, or was it because he'd begun to hone his skills at such a young age? Although it was common knowledge that most abilities were easier to develop when you were a child, there was something about the feel of Merlin's magic which made Morgana think it was far more complicated than that.

A few more prisoners had arrived at Camelot during the last couple of weeks but most of these were preplanned - usually transfers from other facilities – which meant all Morgana had to do was to collect as many details as possible to pass onto Merlin, so that he didn't have to risk suspicion by attempting to find out for himself.

However, today was set to be very different. Gaius had received a phone call late morning which made him especially flustered and, after a series of urgent messages and Leon popping his head around the door several times, Morgana's curiosity was close to bursting point, especially as Merlin appeared to be putting her off just as much as her boss was.

"What's happening, Gaius?" she asked when she could bear the suspense no longer.

"We've a new guest coming in," her boss replied, still distracted by the information on his screen. "Very unexpected."

" _Do you know what's going on, Merlin?"_

" _Yes, and I'm going to try to come down with Arthur,"_ he replied.  _"No idea if Uther will allow it but I really need to be there."_

" _Why?"_

There was a long pause before he answered.  _"You'll see."_

Shortly afterwards, Uther and Arthur walked confidently through the laboratory door with Merlin one step behind. Whether he'd managed to convince the pair that he  _should_  tag along, or was using some type of subtle magic, Morgana didn't know, but he was certainly acting as if he wasn't there - arms behind his back and head bowed - keeping himself in the shadows.

Gaius  _definitely_  noticed though, raising a quizzical eyebrow when he saw the young man enter. However, when no-one else reacted or offered an explanation for his presence, her boss turned back to Uther, muttering something about 'final details' and 'unique situation'.

Morgana had been surprised on seeing how young Gilly was but that hadn't prepared her for the sight of the latest prisoner. The newest sorcerer was a child – a very young boy – and she gaped at Merlin in shock when she understood exactly why he had manoeuvred himself down here today. He nodded subtly and then tipped his head, a silent instruction for her either to pay attention, or perhaps to ignore his presence, as she still wasn't convinced that he hadn't put some sort of invisibility spell on himself, despite her and Gaius being able to see him.

The young boy was dark-haired and pale-skinned with the most piercing blue eyes that Morgana had ever seen. She couldn't help thinking that he looked like a miniature Merlin and the glare he gave his captors certainly reminded her of those rare times her boyfriend had allowed her to see a glimpse of his usually well-buried anger.

"Mordred is it?" Gaius asked the lad, kindly. "How old are you?"

The boy glared at the old man and refused to answer, folding his arms as if to emphasise his rebelliousness and revealing a Green Gauntlet in the process.

"You just need to sit down here." Gaius phrased it as a request, but Arthur had already started to manoeuvre Mordred towards the chair and the child certainly wasn't in a position to resist.

"What happened?" Morgana couldn't help but ask. "Why is he here?"

"A fight in his school playground got out of hand, I gather," Gaius said, looking at the email he'd received on the computer screen. "Nine years old, I see. Originally registered as Red but was wearing Yellow before the Knights increased it on site. Well, that's obviously not correct considering what happened this morning. What did they do to get you so cross?"

The boy shook his head and didn't answer, although Morgana did sense a strange buzz then which felt very much like telepathic communication. Morded gave a whimper then and glanced briefly briefly in Merlin's direction.

" _He's very strong,"_  he commented to her.  _"And is already trying to break through that Green Gauntlet."_ There was a short pause.  _"Don't fight it. You'll only hurt yourself and force them to give you a higher setting. Just go along with everyone for now."_

Morgana blinked for a moment, confused, before realising that Merlin was actually communicating with the boy and not her.

" _Can you hear me?"_  she asked, pushing her thought towards the lad.  _"I'm here to help you too."_

Mordred looked up at her then, his expression now more curious than angry, and gave a very small nod.

" _We can't do anything right now,"_  Merlin continued, apparently answering a question she hadn't heard.  _"Not with this audience, but I promise I'll help you just as soon as I can."_

Just as he had with Gilly, Gaius took off Mordred's current Gauntlet and snapped on the testing bands before pressing a few buttons and stepping back to check the results.

"Well, that is  _most_  unexpected," he said eventually.

"What is it?" Uther asked.

"Looks like we have another 'M' sorcerer."

"A what?" Uther asked.

"Sorry, just thinking out loud. It looks like Mordred is one of these rare individuals whose magic can't be measured."

"Like me?" Arthur asked.

"Ah, actually more like Morgana."

"M sorcerer?" Uther asked again.

"Sorry, just my little joke. You know, Morgana and..." Gaius gaze flicked very briefly over to Merlin and back again. "... and now Mordred."

She too turned towards Merlin who rolled his eyes at Gaius' less than subtle slip.  _"He knows?"_  she asked him.

" _He suspects. He knows of my sympathies and I know of his. Neither of us have admitted anything directly but... I did assume he'd worked it out."_

" _Worked what out?"_

" _That I also have this rare type of magic."_

" _And so now there are three of us?"_

Despite being on opposite sides of the room, Morgana was certain she could sense Merlin's unease.  _"Apparently so."_

" _M sorcerers,"_  she said, amused.

" _I'm sure our names are just a coincidence."_

"So, it's reading him as having no magic but you're saying he does?" Arthur was asking Gaius.

"The report here says that he blasted two boys halfway across the playground without laying a finger on them," the old man replied. "So yes, he obviously has some ability, even if this machine can't detect it."

"How is that possible?" Uther asked.

"It shouldn't be, certainly."

"How are the boys?" Arthur asked then.

"Alive but badly injured in hospital." Gaius looked to get Mordred's attention at that point but the lad just stared back at him with those startling blue eyes and it was impossible to tell if he felt guilty about his earlier outburst.

" _Act meek and unhappy,"_  Merlin cautioned him.  _"Don't show any signs of strength or rebelliousness. With any luck they'll think that Green setting is good enough for you."_

This time Mordred turned his gaze directly at Merlin but Morgana couldn't hear what, if anything, he said.

" _I'm serious, Mordred. Otherwise they'll slap Blue or Purple on you, despite your young age and that might cause you real harm."_

In fact, that discussion was already going on with Uther enthusiastically advocating the higher setting.

"I cannot possible sanction that, sir," Gaius replied. "Not with someone so young."

"But with all these escapees?"

"They've all been Purple though, Father," Arthur said.

"Yes. What's your point?"

"Well, that just proves that putting them up to the higher setting doesn't prevent them from disappearing. In fact all those we've lost have been Green or higher and the few lower ones we hold are still here."

Uther looked over to Gaius who shrugged. "As I've said before, nothing about those escapes makes sense, but if the boy's been on Yellow before today then I can be fairly confident that Green will hold him for the time being."

"No, I won't risk that. He's far too alert. Put him up to Blue."

"But, Uther... I really don't..."

"Blue," her father repeated. "And check up on him every day to make sure he's not broken through that setting."

Mordred again turned towards Merlin and, although Morgana was not aware of any conversation between them, Merlin's expression did seem to say, 'I told you so'. Morgana winced as a new, blue Gauntlet was snapped on the child's tiny wrist and, as had happened to Gilly, his defiance instantly melted and he whimpered again.

" _You'll get used to it and you will soon feel better,"_  Merlin told the boy.  _"But do not make any attempt to use your magic. If they suspect for a minute that you can break through that Gauntlet they'll put you up to Purple and I have no idea what that will do to someone of your power."_

Morgana still hadn't been able to hear the boy's silent voice, but she was fairly certain she sensed a question from him then.

" _Yes, probably,"_  Merlin replied.  _"But, that's the point. Uther mustn't know it's possible. I will be able to get you out of here soon, Mordred, but only if you follow my instructions. Do you understand?"_

And then, finally, she did hear him.

" _Yes, Emrys. I understand."_

**Thursday Afternoon**

"What are you doing here, Merlin?" Gaius asked as he walked into the laboratory at the end of the day.

"Nothing," he replied with a bright grin. "Just waiting for Morgana."

Gaius looked up from his screen and raised an eyebrow. "You're a terrible liar, Merlin."

"No, it's true. We're going out to the pub tonight."

"On a week night?"

Morgana rolled her eyes. "Not you too, Gaius? As if we're not getting enough grief from Dad and Arthur over our relationship."

"And you're not waiting for her in the foyer because..?"

He smiled brightly. "I just couldn't wait that long to see her."

Morgana shook her head, barely stopping herself from groaning.  _"He's right, Merlin. That's an awful excuse, as well as being terribly corny."_

Gaius sighed loudly. "I really don't want to know. Look, I have to work late tonight but I'm leaving now to take a break for..." He looked up at the clock. "... half an hour. I don't expect either of you to be here when I return and please,  _please_  don't give Uther any reason to suspect me. I don't want any... disappearances... on my watch."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," Merlin replied with another too-bright smile.

Gaius glared at him and then walked out of the lab, mumbling to himself.

"So, why  _are_  you here if it's not to get Mordred out?" Morgana asked once they were alone.

"I couldn't do that now, even if I wanted to. It's far too busy."

"I know. So...?"

"I need to drop that setting down a bit and make sure he fully understands what's at stake here. Hopefully a few hours on Blue has knocked the edge off his rebelliousness a little."

"How are you going to get in?" she asked.

"Oh, it's easy in here during work hours as the door doesn't have full locks on whilst Gaius is around. He only puts up the whole security system when he leaves at the end of the day, so this will be easy, but I will have to be quick if he's going to be back in thirty minutes."

Morgana remembered how much longer this door always took Merlin to open during their midnight jaunts, even after all the recent practice but, this time, there was barely a hesitation as the young man put a hand up in front of the door and almost instantly unlocked it.

He shook his head as Morgana made to follow. "No, I need you on lookout, just in case someone else comes in."

"But..." She wasn't sure what it was but she felt a sudden, urgent need to see the boy which she couldn't quite explain. She had never considered herself particularly maternal. In fact, before today, she would have said she didn't really like children at all. However, this boy had been different. She'd felt a connection. Perhaps it was the magic making her feel that way or perhaps it was something else entirely.

"I promise I won't be long." And Merlin had gone, swallowed up by the darkness of the corridor.

~o~0~o~

"Well?" she asked as he returned and locked the door behind him.

"I made a few adjustments to his Gauntlet so that it remains high but absorbs his magic more effectively," Merlin said. "Then I told him he's gone to the top of our list and will be out of here very soon."

"Really? Don't you have to check with the others?"

"I will do but, in this case, I doubt anyone will be disagreeing with me. More to the point, the boy is volatile. Sooner or later he'll get frustrated and ignore my instructions and it's vital that no-one here understands just what us Silver Sorcerers are capable of, otherwise our cover will be blown."

"But he could just be an anomaly," she said.

Merlin shook his head. "No, we need him out of there and as far away from Camelot possible. And we  _have_  to do it soon."

He looked up at the clock and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the main door. Gaius would be back in five minutes and so it was time they left.

**Thursday Evening**

Morgana came out of the shower to find Merlin waiting to go in and looking rather tense "Tonight?" she asked, guessing that he'd just come off the phone with Eden.

"No, that's too soon," he replied. "And it wouldn't be good to cancel on Arthur and Gwen anyway. Tomorrow though." He sighed. "There was some heated discussion about all of this but eventually Eden agree that we do need to get the boy out next."

"What discussion would there be? Surely no-one thought he should be left there?"

Merlin pulled a face. "It's complicated."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "I'll tell you later."

"Ah right." They started to walk past each other and Morgana realised Merlin must really be distracted as he hardly seemed to notice her, despite the fact she was only wearing a towel. "Merlin?"

"Hmm?"

"Mordred called you by a different name earlier today."

"Emrys. Yes."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Something to do with that prophecy I was telling you about."

"How would a child know about such a thing?"

Merlin sighed loudly as he continued on into the bathroom. "I have no idea."

~o~0~o~

"You're very quiet tonight, Arthur?" Morgana observed as the four friends sat at their usual table in the pub..

Her brother shrugged. "Yeah just... thinking."

"Well, that's no good," Merlin teased. "You know how bad that is for you."

Arthur smiled slightly, but his lack of response proved just how preoccupied he was.

" _I think he may be upset about such a young child being help captive too,"_ Morgana said to Merlin.

" _I suppose that must be it, but he's been in an odd mood all day. There's definitely something he's not telling me."_

Gwen had also noticed her boyfriend's distraction but later confided in Morgana that it probably had something to do with  _their_  relationship.

"Why do you say that?" Morgana asked. "It's obvious to anyone who's spent five minutes around you two that Arthur adores you."

"Really? Do you think so? It's just that he's always tried to hide his emotions and feelings but, since we started dating, he was beginning to open up a little and then, suddenly, over the last day or two, he's closed up again and... it seems like he's keeping secrets from me and... I think he's worried about Uther finding out and starting to regret our relationship and..." She noticed Morgana's amused look and smiled. "I'm being silly, aren't I?"

"I'm fairly certain it's to do with work," she replied. "Merlin hinted as much a little while ago. Seriously, try not to worry too much and I'll talk to him later, just to put your mind at rest."

"Thank you, Morgana."

~o~0~o

_Next Time - **Chapter 16:**  Back To The Future_


	16. Back to the Future

There was even less conversation required during Mordred's rescue. The pair now knew exactly what they were doing and were extra efficient as a result, even though this mission felt subtly different for some reason that Morgana was initially unable to grasp.

The journeys down to the basement and up to the laboratory took a little longer nowadays, as Merlin had to check for the presence of the spy cameras and work some small, individual spell for each he encountered. The idea of night time guards had quickly been dismissed by Uther, but they knew it was possible that they may not have been told all the details and so were extra cautious, just in case they encountered any unpleasant surprises.

The door to the lab clicked open quietly with hardly any dramatic movement on Merlin's part and he pulled at it to let Morgana through first, as she was now able to create her own flame on her hand to light their way. She started to head towards the secure door but Merlin held her back, scanning the nearby desks for any sign of spy cameras, even though he was fairly certain he knew of their location from Arthur.

Once he was convinced it was all clear the pair moved as one towards the secure door, huddled shoulder to shoulder so Morgana's light could help Merlin to see what he was doing.

Morgana found she was inexplicably impatient to see Mordred again and surprisingly nervous about this mission, considering how often they had pulled off this trick before. Merlin knew exactly where they boy's cell was, of course, as he'd been down here the previous day but, despite all of this, Morgana still couldn't shake her nerves and was beginning to experience some other bizarre emotions.

She was getting the strangest feeling of deja-vu.

Merlin briefly checked Mordred and his Gauntlet before whispering a quiet 'okay' and ushering the boy back out towards the passageway.

"Let's get out of here."

To her total surprise, Mordred ran straight to her, despite their lack of previous interaction, and she hugged him tightly as that strange sense of familiarity washed over her again.

However, it was only as the three of them made their way back up the corridor that Morgana finally remembered the dream she'd had years before. Somehow she'd managed to forget about it before today, but now she recalled hurrying up a dark corridor full of strange sounds and emotions with two male companions; one small child and a tall young man. The memory made her pause.

"Hurry, Morgana."

She almost reeled as she heard Merlin utter those familiar words. The dream had occurred  _ages_  before either of them had been employed at Camelot, before she had even met him, and Merlin had hinted that there may be something special about her nightmares – something magical. Despite it being mentioned casually in passing though, there had been so much to learn recently, so much to plan, that they never had got around to discussing it.

Her Gauntlet buzzed then, which she also remembered having happened in the dream. Of course, she should now have full control of her magic but the weird deja-vu was distracting her as she desperately tried to remember what had happened next.

" _I think there's a problem,"_  she managed to say.  _"There's danger..."_  Although she still didn't know what that was.

" _Nearly there,"_ Merlin replied.

They were back in the main laboratory before Morgana had fully realised it, but her sense of dread was mounting.

"You know the drill."

Of course, Morgana was to go over to the door to lock it whilst Merlin transported Mordred out, but tonight she felt surprisingly reluctant to let go of Mordred and move away. Why couldn't she remember what had happened next? Something other than the amazing rush of love she felt as she turned back to look at her two companions.

Then a figure stepped out from the shadows and it all came flooding back.

" _Arthur!"_

~o~0~o~

"Why?" her brother asked.

She froze and glanced over at Merlin who looked just as shocked as she felt. Even in this poor light she could see the fear etched across her lover's features and could sense it too – a strange mixture of emotions which seemed to hold more concern than simply his own discovery, or fear for the boy. She hesitated, wanting to go back to them but not knowing how Arthur would react to the move.

"I had my suspicions," her brother said then. "But I never wanted it to be true. Why are you doing this?"

Had he been here in the laboratory all along or had he followed them in? She and Merlin had been so preoccupied with the task at hand that it was highly likely that they had walked right past him on their way in.

"Arthur... I can explain..." Merlin said.

Morgana shook her head, suddenly understanding.  _That_  was why Arthur had been in such a strange mood yesterday. He really was very bad at keeping secrets and even worse at acting casually when he had something on his mind. But how much  _did_  he know? How much had he actually seen?

"I trusted you.  _Both_  of you," he continued. "And yet all the time you were plotting against Camelot?"

Morgana turned on him with a glare. "I begged you, Arthur and told you this wasn't right, but you were happy to let me keep wearing this..." She lifted her arm. "...prison around my wrist, despite the problems it caused me. You were happy for me to stay in pain."

"Happy?" He shook his head. "Never that."

"Merlin showed me another way," she continued. "A  _better_  way."

" _Although I don't think he actually saw me using use magic,"_  her boyfriend replied silently.

Arthur then turned his attention towards Merlin. "I don't understand. I thought you were the most loyal person I knew."

"I  _am_  loyal, Arthur and I never wanted to hurt you but, Morgana's correct, this is all wrong. Uther is wrong. I cannot sit ideally by whilst my people suffer."

" _Your_  people?" Arthur asked, incredulously.

Merlin nodded and placed one gentle hand on the boy's shoulder whilst beckoning Morgana back towards him with the other. She moved quickly, pleased of the excuse to get back to the pair.

"He's just a child," she said as Mordred's small, warm hand found its way back into hers. "And yet he was imprisoned here without trial."

"He's an unregistered sorcerer," Arthur replied.

"A child," she repeated. "This place will be the death of him and the Gauntlet will kill him."

"Nonsense. We all wear them for our protection."

"That's not true, Arthur," Merlin disagreed. "They can kill people.  _Innocent_  people. I know that from personal experience. Please let us go. There's no reason for Uther to know that any of us were here tonight."

" _Shouldn't we leave?"_ Morgana asked.

" _In a minute. I'm just hoping..."_

" _What?"_

"I have to tell Father some of what happened here," Arthur said eventually. "If you leave now you won't be allowed to return."

"Not yet," Merlin replied. "But, trust me, I  _will_  be back to keep an eye on you." She was sure she could sense his amusement. "You know you won't survive long without me."

Arthur continued to stare at them, his face full of disappointment and uncertainty until, to Morgana's surprise, he gave a firm nod and moved back into the shadows, silently giving his permission for them to leave.

Merlin took this as his cue, pulling them both closer to his body before the familiar feeling of magical warmth flowed through her and they transported out.

~o~0~o~

"Merlin!"

They had arrived back at her flat but, as Merlin had suspected, carrying two people out at the same time had been very much harder, even over this shorter distance, and he'd collapsed onto the floor the second they'd arrived.

"I'll be fine..." he gasped. "Give me a minute."

"How much time have we got?" she asked as she helped him stand up. "You know they'll come here first."

"Perhaps. That rather depends on how much Arthur tells Uther."

"But the power grid?"

"Yeah. That'll send an alert to the police station in another ten minutes anyway."

"So?"

"So, we'd better pack some bags."

"Do you need anything from your house?" she asked.

"Yes, we need to go there too but..." He shook his head as if trying to dislodge his dizziness. "I'll start by helping here before I attempt that jump. Quickly, gather up anything you can; clothes, blankets, food, water and money."

"What about Mordred's Gauntlet? Shouldn't you remove it now?"

The boy held his wrist up at the question.

Merlin sighed. "We really don't have the time."

"But look how pale he is. Surely...?"

"Morgana, if we're captured it won't matter anyway, and I adjusted it a little the other day and made it less dangerous. He can just sit down on the sofa and rest whilst we get the packing done."

"But..."

" _Please_ , we don't have a lot of time." He smiled sadly at the boy and steered him towards the settee. "And another couple of bags if you have them. A rucksack, would be ideal."

"How are you feeling now?" Morgana asked Merlin as they moved quickly into the bedroom to continue packing.

"A little better but I really want to remove these shields if I've got the energy."

"Is that necessary?"

"Yes." He looked at the clock and shook his head. "I was going to hop over to my flat on my own, but I don't have the time or the energy for a two way trip and I'd really rather we didn't split up." He sighed. "At least the jump there is shorter than from Camelot to here."

"You can't transport us both again!" Morgana complained. "You've barely recovered from that last hop."

"Not much choice, as I said."

"But..."

"Come on. The police will have been alerted by now and, despite letting us go, there's no guarantee that Arthur won't change his mind when faced with Uther and tell him it was us. We really don't have the time to debate this."

And, before she could object further, Merlin had manoeuvred her towards Mordred her and transported all three of them to his house.

~o~0~o~

"You're an idiot!" Morgana declared as she helped Merlin up from the floor for a second time. "What chance do Mordred and I have without you?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he slurred stumbling to his feet and swaying as if he were drunk. "Just give me a moment."

"How many moments, though?"

"No idea. Depends if they come here or to your place first."

Morgana grabbed him by both shoulders, staring up at him and trying to judge what sort of state he was in. "You reckon Arthur didn't see you use magic?"

"Not if he was waiting in the laboratory as I suspect. You went in first and had a light on your hand though and he knows that it's possible that you have magic. However, I've always been believed to be Red and, as you have said before, I'm considered unremarkable enough by most people not to be taken that seriously anyway."

"So, he thinks it was all me?" She looked deeper into his eyes and felt he was beginning to look a little more focused. "What is it you need from here?"

"A few things, but mostly I need to remove the shields here and other certain bits of evidence. Go into the front room and keep a look out, would you? Call me silently if you see anyone coming."

This time she took Mordred with her, hugging him close as she looked out of the window. Merlin was probably only gone for five minutes but it was easily the longest five minutes Morgana had ever experienced. Fortunately there was no sight or sound of sirens and no cars came close to their position. Finally Merlin turned up holding a piece of paper in one hand, a rucksack on his shoulder and dragging one very large padded pack behind him.

"Right, you two, we're leaving by the back door. I've a little car parked in the backyard which will do until we can swap it."

"Swap?"

He held up a piece of paper. "Got a few extra contacts listed on here in case of emergencies. It's time to see just how efficient the Eden Underground is here in the city."

"You don't have those numbers on your phone?"

"Just code names on there with other, seemingly unrelated, information in paper form. None of it will make sense unless you have both parts."

She shook her head. "I had no idea it was so complicated."

"Come on, let's go. I sent a message ahead. Eden knows we're in trouble so our various contacts will be notified which saves us worrying about it."

Merlin opened the back gate as the other two put their bags in the very small boot of the car whilst Morgana strapped Mordred into the back seat. Then Merlin put the large pack on the seat next to the boy and drove the car out past the gate to allow Morgana to close it behind them.

"So, where are we going?" she asked as they all set off.

"Just a couple of miles down the road to Percival's garage. I'm sure he'll grumble about being woken up at this time of night but he should have a more suitable car to give us."

"He's Eden?"

"Yes. We have a number of Red and Yellow contacts dotted around the country."

"Really? Who are they and why do they support us?"

"It's usually because they have family members who were taken away or who are now living in the Eden sanctuaries. It's not just sorcerers who suffer because of this Gauntlet system."

"I imagine not."

~o~0~o~

"What have you done now, Merlin?" A tall, muscular man was waiting to meet them outside the door of the service garage.

"Me?" Merlin replied in mock innocence. "Percival, I have no idea  _what_  you mean."

"Of course you don't," he said with a grin, handing over a set of keys. Then he looked more closely at the other two occupants of the car and gave Merlin a quizzical look. "Secret family?"

"What?"

"I just thought...?"

Merlin looked at Morgana with a frown obviously not understanding Percival's confusion.

"No, none of us are related," Morgana answered.

"Ah right... sorry for any offence but the boy could easily pass for your son."

Merlin turned to Mordred quizzically. "You think so?"

"It might be a useful disguise now you're on the run. Anyway, let's get your belongings moved over to the new car and then you should probably check in with Gwaine before you leave the city."

Merlin sighed. "I really was planning on heading west straight away, but I suppose you're right and that detour will be necessary."

"Probably a good idea to make sure we've got everything covered," Percival agreed. "Will they be looking for this car?"

"I'm not sure. Despite getting caught, it is possible that the authorities might not have been told everything."

"I'd better keep it hidden for a bit, just in case," Percival continued. "And you'd better give me your phones too. I've some new ones here with the usual contacts in."

"Why mine?" Morgana asked as Percival held out his hand to her.

"An organisation like Camelot could easily have them traced. All they need is your number. Best not to take any chances."

She handed it over with a pout, annoyed by the inconvenience and frustrated at being given a very basic model in return for her expensive, high-tech one. Would Arthur  _really_  tell their father who had been responsible? Surely, if he admitted to being there then he would also have to admit to letting them go. She briefly felt guilty for the hassle she'd put her brother through but the feeling was fairly short lived. Arthur had been right to turn a blind eye, but what he  _should_  have done was to have helped them. She knew he had reservations about the nature of the Camelot's prisoners and that he especially didn't approve of children being held captive. Perhaps, after tonight, he would take her comments more seriously. Perhaps he would now start to question their father about the system and how unfair it was.

Percival and Merlin exchanged a few other, urgent words before parting company with firm nods. The big man then squeezed himself into the small car and drove it towards the back of the building, presumably to put it firmly under lock and key until the fuss had died down. Merlin got into the driver seat of this new, larger estate and, after a quick check to make sure the pair were settled, drove them all off into the night.

~o~0~o~


	17. Battery Recharge

**Early Hours of Saturday Morning**

For a while they drove in silence; with only the swooshing of the car tyres on the wet road and the occasional squeak of the windscreen wipers to be heard over the purr of the engine. Morgana stared out of the passenger window onto a dark and unusually quiet city, seeing only the rain-blurred lights from distant houses, street lamps and the other cars.

Frustrated, she turned away to look at the tatty mobile phone in her lap, only now beginning to comprehend how much her life had just been changed. She recognised none of the names programmed into its basic menu, which made her realise that the unplanned swap would prevent her from calling Arthur or Gwen. For someone who was regularly teased for not using her phone enough, it was ironic just how much she was already missing it. She never had been good at remembering phone numbers as a child and, in this day and age, there had been little reason to do so. She closed her eyes and frowned, desperately trying to recall something of her brother's number: A six... a couple of sevens...

She sighed loudly and gave up the attempt, turning instead to look at the back seat where Mordred had now fallen asleep, exhausted from his adventures and his Gauntlet's strong setting.

She glanced from him to Merlin, thinking about what Percival had said about the three of them pretending to be related. The idea hadn't surprised her as much as it had her boyfriend, as one of her first thoughts on seeing Mordred had been just how much the two had looked alike. But, it was more than that, she realised. She had felt an instant connection to the pair just as soon as she'd met them and, even now, there seemed to be more to the sensation than was logical given their relatively brief relationship.

Morgana shook her head, trying to make some sense of that thought. When she looked at Merlin and Mordred she experienced an overwhelming sense of warmth and 'rightness', over an above what she would previously have described as love. Why was that? Was it perhaps due to the three of them having this strange, undefinable type of magic?

So, was this to be her future now? A life with Merlin and Mordred; a ready-made husband and son? Not so long ago, such domestic thoughts would have frankly terrified her, but now she caught herself thinking that it was a shame that Mordred wasn't actually theirs. What if she were to marry Merlin? What if they were to have a child of their own?

But no, that was not the sort of future she had planned for herself. She had had a good, well paid job and a comfortable life, now made so much better by the release of her magic. Did she really have to give all of that up for this uncertainty? Her mind may just have wandered to some romantic idea of 'Happily Ever After' but the reality was quite different. She was on the run with an escaped prisoner and, if they were caught...?

"Perhaps Arthur won't say anything," she whispered to Merlin, breaking the long silence. "Perhaps he's going to pretend that he wasn't there and will be expecting us to turn up to work on Monday as usual. What if he tries to call us? What if we could have persuaded him to side with us?"

"You don't know him very well, do you?" Merlin replied, sadly.

She glared at him. "I've known him my whole life."

"Yeah? Then you should know that his loyalty to your father is absolute and, even if he did have  _some_  understanding of our motives – some desire to change things – he would only ever work within the system, and certainly wouldn't approve of us having broken the law to achieve our aim."

"We are  _not_  criminals!"

"Ah, strictly speaking, we are. In truth you have been ever since you let me change the settings on your Gauntlet." It was his turn to sigh. "And, even if  _our_  part in this could be kept quiet, Mordred is most definitely going to be hunted and it's vital that we get him as far away from Camelot as possible – as  _soon_  as possible."

She frowned, trying to make sense of that comment. There had been other reactions from him, she remembered, things that didn't quite add up at the time. Up until now she'd assumed Merlin felt the same way about the boy as she did – felt the same strong connection and had wanted him safe - but now she wasn't so certain.

"He makes you uneasy." It wasn't a question. Just a surprising, sudden realisation.

"Yes."

She waited for Merlin to elaborate but he didn't, simply focusing on the road ahead.

"Why?" she pushed.

Another, very long pause.

"There are divisions appearing within Eden," he replied eventually. Carefully. "Different ideas about what Mordred represents."

"I don't understand. He's just a child."

"A child with power not far off my own and with an upbringing that has been considerably more chaotic. If he'd been found earlier – if we'd been able to raise him in the right way - then perhaps..."

"Eden doesn't know of his family?" she asked.

"No. And it's one of the first things I need to ask him when we're more settled."

At times like this, Morgana felt that the pair really  _were_  related, despite knowing that wasn't possible. She felt it might explain the way Merlin was with Mordred; determined to keep him safe but also reluctant to show his feelings for him.

"And so, in this case, he  _was_  to be rescued because of his magic rather than his vulnerability?" she guessed.

"That was the nature of the division, in fact, the question as to whether he was indeed the most vulnerable prisoner within Camelot. The other problem was the prophecy regarding his future..." Merlin shook his head. "... or if it was his future at all. To keep him in Camelot where he could be a danger or to take him away and teach him to control his abilities."

"Don't you mean, where he could be  _in_  danger?"

Merlin shook his head. "I'm not sure  _Mordred's_  life was ever under threat."

She heard the unexpected emphasis but could make no sense of it. "What are you trying to say, Merlin?"

He looked up into the rear-view mirror then, checking on the sleeping Mordred, before shaking his head. "Later. We're nearly there now, anyway."

"So, who is this Gwaine?" she asked.

"Another of our London contacts. A bit of a maverick." He grinned. "Someone who has never done  _anything_  within the system if he could possibly help it."

She smiled back. "Wouldn't get along with my brother then?"

"Possibly not." He looked back up at the mirror. "You all right, Mordred?"

Morgana turned too, noting that the boy was now awake. Mordred nodded but didn't say anything, just blinking sleepily. She wondered at him being so quiet - of having talked so little - but knew now wasn't the ideal time to try to get him to open up.

"Right, I think this is it," Merlin said, pulling into a driveway which lead to a tall, ugly tower block.

"And  _why_  have we come here?" she said, pulling a face at the state of the place.

"Just to get our story in order, really. Collect some official papers, that sort of thing. Hopefully, assuming our departure has gone undetected by Camelot and the Knights, we can stay here for the rest of the night and make a fresh start tomorrow."

"To Eden?"

"Heading that way, yes." Merlin frowned. "Mordred needs to be there." He drove towards the car park and headed towards a space.

"And me?"

Once parked, Merlin put the handbrake on and turned to her, taking her hands in his. "I'm sorry, Gana, I forgot how much of an upheaval this must be for you. I've never stayed in one place for long and was always prepared to leave at a moment's notice but, of course, it's very different for you." He sighed. "Perhaps that's something we can talk about tonight. See exactly what Eden is suggesting for me next and discuss what it is you want to do now."

She nodded and accepted his gentle kiss, before helping to get their bags out of the car and heading towards the entrance, where a pale, flickering light illuminated a figure lounging carelessly against the door frame. Morgana held back as she took a look at the shabby tower block and worried at the rough neighbourhood they had just entered.

"Don't worry, that's Gwaine," Merlin explained. "He's obviously come down to meet us."

"Hi there, Merlin," the man called out. "I thought you'd appreciate an escort at this time of night." He nodded over to the left where a few other shadowy figures lurked ominously. "Some of my neighbours are a bit colourful, to say the least."

"Why are you living here of all places, Gwaine?" Merlin asked. "I'm sure we can find better accommodation for you."

"Nah, this place suits me well enough. The people may be a bit rough around the edges but they can also be very useful and I'm able to blend in here pretty well myself."

"I don't doubt that. Gwaine, this is Morgana and the boy is Mordred."

"All the Ms." He held out a hand to her and she nervously reached out for it, not quite sure what to make of this man. He grasped it in surprisingly gentle fingers and raised it to his lips to kiss. "An honour, my lady." She raised a questioning eyebrow. "I have been told of you and your family," he continued. "But, now I've seen you I admit to being in awe. I feel as if royalty has come to visit my humble abode."

"Don't overdo it, Gwaine," Merlin muttered as he walked forwards, one arm around Mordred's shoulder.

"Me?" Gwaine asked, his hand to his chest in mock surprise. "When have I ever overdone anything." Merlin scoffed loudly. "Hi, kiddo. Nice to meet you."

Morded also viewed Gwaine suspiciously but, after a nod from Merlin, took the offered hand to shake.

Gwaine ushered them into a damp and smelly entrance hall and up some equally unpleasant looking stairs. "Sorry it's a bit of a walk to the fifteenth floor but the lift is broken... again."

"Great!"

"Keeps me fit. You staying tonight?"

"I did really want to get out of Dodge," Merlin said. "But we're all tired for different reasons so I don't think we could continue anyway."

"You're far enough from Camelot not to be in any immediate danger and I gather you switched cars and phones with Perce?"

"Yeah, he definitely got a good deal out of mine," Morgana complained.

Gwaine laughed. "I'm sure. Still, better safe than sorry. Here we are..."

The corridors up here weren't much better than the ground floor ones, and the doors looked just as shabby but, once inside, things improved and the flat was very much nicer than Morgana had anticipated.

"Fancy anything before you sleep?" Gwaine asked. "I've soup and bread if you want."

"I think I'm just going to crash, actually Gwaine," Merlin said. "I had to use a lot of transporting magic earlier and Mordred is still wearing a mostly unmodified Gauntlet. Honestly we all just need to sleep."

The boy held up his wrist towards Merlin, hopefully.

"Tomorrow, Mordred. I really don't have the energy now. Trust me, it's best to wear it for a few more hours than risk me messing with it in my current state, and at least it means you'll sleep well."

Mordred pouted, moving closer to Morgana and looking up at her as if hoping she might be able to change Merlin's mind. As much as she hated to see the boy in such obvious discomfort, she realised that this was not the time to push the point and was honestly far too tired to argue anyway.

"I think he's right, Mordred. Let's sleep first and worry about everything else tomorrow." The boy gave a resigned sigh and moved even closer, as if seeking her protection.

"How to you want to deal with the sleeping arrangements?" Gwaine asked Merlin.

"I want both of them close to me," he replied. "Morgana's making good progress but I'd rather she stayed close, just in case her magic misbehaves."

"You three can have my bedroom then," Gwaine said, not teasing them as Morgana had suspected. "And I'll sleep out here on the sofa. There's my bed in there, plus a camping bed, sleeping bags and lots of blankets. Entirely up to you how you arrange yourself. Bathroom's through that door, there."

"Thanks, Gwaine."

Mordred headed to the bathroom whilst the adults went into the bedroom, lit only by one weak light on the bedside table. The room was a moderate size with one small, single bed and a fitted wardrobe running the length of one wall. They looked around, taking note of all the camping equipment and blankets Gwaine had left out and tried to decide what to do.

"Mordred might as well have the bed," Morgana said. "Seeing he's been in a prison cell these last couple of nights."

"Yes, that makes sense," Merlin agreed, nodding at the boy as he walked back into the room. Mordred looked half-asleep already and walked, trance-like, over to the bed and clambered on. "You want the camping bed, Gana?"

She shook her head. "Why don't we just pile the blankets up and sleep on the floor next to each other."

Merlin's smile was suddenly far more relaxed than she had seen for several hours as he started to gather up the items Gwaine had left out for them. Coming back from the bathroom, Morgana went over to the bed to check on Mordred to find him already fast asleep. She rearranged the bed-covers a little and gently stroked the boy's hair before making her way to the pile of blankets which Merlin had just arranged.

The pair exchanged a brief, chaste kiss and then quickly snuggled down on the surprisingly comfortable heap, tight in each other's embrace.

"You all right?" Merlin whispered.

"I'm not sure. It's all a bit of a shock."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry."

"Not your fault. I did ask to be involved, after all." Her eyes felt so heavy she was unable to keep them open. "We really do have so much to talk about but, as you said, this will probably all be a lot easier in the morning."

"That's true." He gently kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight."

This last month had been such a whirlwind of passion that there had been few occasions where the couple had just slept next to each other and Morgana had to admit that it was wonderful to simply cuddle close. Seeing they were on the run with a child to care for, she assumed it was something she needed to get used to.

**Saturday Morning**

Although Morgana slept straight through, Mordred obviously woke up at some point as, when Gwaine came in the following morning, it was to find all three of his guests asleep on the pile of blankets; the boy cocooned protectively in-between the two adults.

"Something wrong with my bed?" their host teased.

Morgana sat up, surprised to find they had company and exchanged a look with Merlin.

"Mordred's had a tough time of it lately," he said. "I think he just wanted the company."

"I imagine so." Gwaine smiled broadly. "Breakfast whenever you're ready, and feel free to rummage in the cupboards for a change of clothes. Should have something for all sizes in there."

Merlin looked over at the impressively big wardrobe and blinked. "Ah right, thanks."

The visitors washed and then changed into some clean trousers and shirts of surprisingly good quality. They emerged into the main living room of the flat to be greeted by the alluring smells of freshly brewed coffee and warm toast, and hurried over to the table by the window enthusiastically, exceptionally hungry after being on the run all night.

"Good view up here," Merlin observed in-between mouthfuls.

"Another reason I like this place," Gwaine said, waving an arm towards the window, which showed amazing views of London from the fifteenth floor.

Merlin nodded. "Have you heard anything from Eden this morning?"

"Yes, they're already making plans to get some more people in to occupy the places you left."

"Already?" Morgana said. "I mean, we haven't even  _tried_  to contact Arthur yet. He did let us go, after all, so I thought perhaps we could talk to him."

Gwaine turned a look of surprise towards Merlin, who shrugged. "He was there waiting for us when we freed Mordred. I'm still not sure if he suspected either of us in the first place or just decided to take security matters into his own hands, guessing that Eden would be keen to have the boy released quickly." He shook his head. "Arthur understood that better than his father, simply because he was so shocked by Mordred's young age."

"And yet you don't think it's worth trying to contact him?" she pushed. "Or Gwen? Perhaps we could..."

"Not now, Morgana," he interrupted. "Not while we're this close to Camelot. Perhaps later." He turned to Gwaine. "So who's going in?"

"Lancelot."

"Really? But he's only a Yellow."

"Well, yes but, at the moment, there's no hope of us getting anyone else out. We just wanted someone in there who could tell us what's going on."

"Will he be suspected?" Morgana asked.

Gwaine shook his head. "He's been working there already. He now just needs to get himself promoted. He's full of charm, that one, so I doubt it'll be a problem."

"Isn't there  _any_  way we can contact Arthur secretly?" she pushed. "Find out what he's thinking about all this?"

"Perhaps," Merlin said, biting his lip as he contemplated their options. "But first we need to get ourselves safe and take Mordred to Eden. At the moment there's nothing more important than that."

"It's true," Gwaine agreed. "Despite the difference of opinion regarding the boy's part in the prophecy, no one questions his need to be there - in a magical centre where he can be kept safe  _and_  properly trained."

Mordred pulled a face.

"What is this prophecy, anyway?" Morgana asked.

"Add that to the long list of things we need to talk about later," Merlin said before turning back to Gwaine. "Talking of which, we really should start getting ready to move."

"Already?" Morgana asked.

"Probably best," Gwaine replied. "We're fairly certain your exit wasn't noticed but it's better not to take any chances."

She sighed. "I suppose"

"Although I do need to look at Mordred's Gauntlet before we go," Merlin said. "And I need to beg a spare phone off you if I can, Gwaine?"

"Alright. One with the usual contacts in it?"

"No, a completely empty one."

Gwaine looked as if he was going to ask another question but obviously changed his mind and shrugged. "Whatever you say."

Mordred held his wrist up to Merlin again, expectantly.

"Yes, I'll adjust it," Merlin replied to the silent request. "But no magic, Mordred, do you hear? This is just to help you recover. There are no shields here and we can't risk alerting the Knights." Mordred shrugged and nodded his compliance.

"Can I watch?" Morgana asked. "Try and see what it is you're doing to it?"

"That's a good idea, actually. You've now developed enough skill that you might start to understand more."

"I'll leave you to it then," Gwaine said. "But help yourself if you need anything – no need to ask. Anything I have here is yours."

~o~0~o~


	18. Bonnie and Clyde

"It's not just about magic then?" Morgana asked as she watched Merlin select a metal pin from a small, leather wrap and press it against a few points on Mordred's Gauntlet.

"It's a bit of both," he explained as he worked. "The Knights have a special device called a Shield which allows them to access the controls and adjust the settings at a basic level without magic but, for the really subtle stuff, you need to make both mechanical and magical adjustments. Although, I'm mostly using magic to override the inbuilt security systems at the moment."

She shuffled her chair a little closer and leaned in to get a better view. "So someone unofficial who doesn't have magic can't adjust them?"

"No-one unofficial should be able to adjust them at all," Merlin replied. "I can only do it because my magic can't be detected."

She nodded. "Oh. So could I?"

"I expect so. With training."

"And those Gauntlets you've taken away?"

He leant back and eyed his work critically. "We do have a couple of research facilities of our own and some ideas on how we can adapt the system to be more helpful."

"So, why hasn't anything been done about that?"

"There has. There is. There's a lot going on behind the scenes and a number of politicians who are working to change things officially."

She frowned. "I didn't know that."

"Uther likes to talk extremes," Merlin said, making a few more adjustments. "He tries to convince everyone that Eden is bribing corrupt politicians and that we want all Gauntlets destroyed, neither of which is true."

"It isn't?"

He shook his head. "In fact the Gauntlets can be useful and are even desirable in some circumstances as you've discovered. What we don't approve of though, is their use as a method of forced compliance or the imprisonment of sorcerers who don't agree with the current system and have committed no crime unconnected to the Gauntlets."

"Like you?"

"Yes. I have unregistered magic and have helped sorcerers escape captivity, which makes me a criminal in the current climate. Take those transgressions away and I am innocent of any wrong-doing."

"And Mordred?"

Merlin pulled a face, and glanced briefly at the boy before replying. "They would say he is dangerous because he attacked those boys but, even taking away the fact that he is under-age, it could be argued that the Gauntlet itself fuelled his aggression. As I said, there are numerous politicians and lawyers desperately trying to change the laws behind the scenes, and Eden has been reaching out feelers to many of these people and trying to offer them our assistance."

"Why is none of this on the news?" she asked. "Why are we all not hearing about it?"

"Why do you think?"

"A conspiracy of silence?"

He nodded. "The problem is that the current Prime Minster has very similar views to your father. We're hoping the next General Election might herald a more moderate leader. One who is open to the idea of change." He sat back with a sigh. "There how does that feel, Mordred?"

"Better." It was a mere whisper. "Can't you take it off?"

"No, because we all need to be seen to be wearing them." He held up his own as an example. "Also, as I was just saying, they can be of some use. They help to prevent any emotional outburst of magic – especially the way I have them set up now – and can also assist your magic, help you to channel it."

"It's true, Mordred," Morgana said. "Just a short while ago I couldn't perform any magic on command, but now I nearly always use the Gauntlet to help me."

"How?"

"That is definitely something for later," Merlin said. "You'll be fine, just as long as you don't try to consciously use magic and we really do need to get going."

"Well, I've got your new documents ready," Gwaine said, coming over. "The family cover, obviously."

Merlin shook his head. "If you say so."

Gwaine laughed. "And a couple of rings for you two to help with that disguise." He opened up a box full of rings, necklaces and other trinkets.

Merlin gaped. "Where did you get all those?"

"Don't get excited, they're not real gold. Just some of the many things I've collected to help people with their disguises. Including wedding rings for people posing as married couples."

Merlin nodded and fished out a large ring, trying it on for size.

"Oh, I like this," Morgana said, distracted from her search by a beautiful mother-of-pearl dragon brooch.

"Then it's yours, my lady," Gwaine said with a grin and a messy bow.

"Really? Thank you." She quickly pinned it onto her jacket before rummaging through the box for a ring.

Merlin grinned. "It looks good on you. He held up his left hand. Finally found one that fits."

Morgana grabbed the first ring she discovered and was delighted to find it slipped on perfectly.

"Congratulations," their host said with a cheeky grin. "I now pronounce you husband and wife."

"Funny, Gwaine."

**Saturday Afternoon**

They said goodbye to Gwaine, thanking him for the hospitality, before putting their newly packed bags in the boot of the car and setting off south.

"We're going to Eden now?" Morgana asked. "One of these sanctuaries you keep talking about?"

"Actually we're deliberately heading in the wrong direction."

"Why?"

"Because I agree with you. We really do need to talk to Arthur and Gwen."

"What's that got to do with our direction?"

"Phones can be traced, as Percival and Gwaine said, so we're going to lay a false trail for the Knights to follow."

Once out of the city, they continued south-east, with Merlin taking them off the main roads and down numerous, narrow country lanes. Then they pulled over into a small passing place where he took out the latest phone Gwaine had given him and looked at it for a moment.

"But we don't have our old phones," Morgana said. "How are you going to contact Arthur?"

Merlin frowned. "What do you mean? I'm just going to call him on this."

"Yes, but what about the number?"

He shrugged. "I know it."

"You do?"

"Of course. Don't you?" He grinned at her annoyed expression before pressing a few keys with absolutely no hesitation. Morgana looked at the number as he dialled it and admitted that it did seem pretty familiar.

'Hello?' Arthur's voice sounded clearly over the speaker.

"It's me."

'Merlin? You idiot! Where the hell are you?'

"I'm here with Morgana."

'And the boy?'

"Yes," Morgana answered. "And I know you agree with us about his imprisonment."

'I don't know  _what_  to think, to be honest.' There was a pause. 'Gwen's here too.'

'How are you both?' Their friend sounded especially concerned.

"We're fine" Merlin replied. "We just phoned to... talk about what happened and... well, try to explain things, really."

"Although I don't know why  _we_  need to explain anything," Morgana added. "I'd say it's pretty obvious why Mordred had to be released."

'I agree that children shouldn't be held like that, but that's not the point, is it?" Arthur said. "It wasn't just him. It's been you all along, hasn't it, Morgana?'

She opened her mouth to reply and then closed it again, realising she needed to revise what she had been going to say. She looked over at Merlin who nodded.

" _It's as I suspected. He assumes it's just you with the magic."_

"So?" she managed to reply. " _None_  of them should be in there."

'They're criminals.'

"No, they're people who have magic. People like me."

'I can't believe you've known how to use magic all this time.'

She exchanged another look with Merlin before giving her false reply. "It's true. I'm a member of Eden."

Gwen gasped. 'Morgana!'

"What? How could I have agreed to use my magic to help Gaius and Dad when others less fortunate were being imprisoned without reason. And how could I refuse them without suffering the same fate myself. Once I knew I had controllable magic there was only one course I could realistically take."

There was a long silence and some furious whispering on the other side. 'Tell them, Arthur,' Gwen said eventually.

"Tell us, what?" Merlin asked.

'I knew Eden would want to get the boy out as soon as possible and so I decided to lie in wait, although I really didn't think for a moment it would be you," Arthur began. "Anyway, I hung around in the laboratory for ages once you'd gone, really confused, trying to work out what to do. However, ten minutes later I received an automatic system alert on my phone and realised that you hadn't managed to switch everything off as you'd done before.'

"Yeah," Morgana said. " _Someone_  interrupted me before I was able to."

'Anyway, I knew that that meant everyone else would be alerted too so I wandered outside in order to wait for Dad, Leon and Gaius to arrive. Still trying to decide what to do next.'

"Did you tell them who it was?" she asked.

'Not at first. Initially it was easy enough to imply I'd arrived shortly before they had, but it wasn't long before Dad was asking after you, Morgana and kept trying to call. When he got an 'unavailable' tone rather than voice mail he insisted on going straight around to your flat and wouldn't listen when I suggested we waited until the morning. Then he decided you were probably around Merlin's and asked for his address. When you weren't there either he started to panic.'

"Panic?" Morgana was surprised. "That doesn't sound like him."

'I'm not sure you've ever realised how just much he cares about you.'

She scoffed. "Dad doesn't care for anyone or anything except his precious Camelot."

'That's not true,' Gwen said. 'I know he can come across like that but, as I've said to Arthur, it's obvious to me that he does care a great deal about both of you.'

'He keeps it well hidden, It's true,' Arthur agreed. 'But there's no doubt about his feelings for you right now. This has all has him really shaken and, last night he started to freak out imagining you in some sort of danger. Honestly he was getting so stressed, so paranoid, that I ended up telling him just to try and calm him down.'

" _What_  did you tell him, exactly?" Merlin asked.

"Well, I told him  _some_  of it. I said I had a feeling that Eden might try to free the boy and had gone in to check, only to see Morgana there. At first he thought that you might also simply be checking things out until I said I'd seen you with the boy and that I saw you use magic to escape."

"Thanks," she said, dryly. "What about Merlin?"

"Well, Dad automatically assumed that it must have been  _his_  idea. That he had lead you astray somehow. He still doesn't believe Morgana could've been willingly involved.'

"But Leon and Gaius would," Merlin guessed.

'Yes. I just got a message from Leon in fact, saying that the pair of you match the description of a couple seen on the security cameras around Camelot after the other disappearances, and Gaius knows it's possible for Morgana to have usable magic, of course.'

'So, Uther has now set out a priority message to the Knights,' Gwen said. 'He's also contacted the police, accusing Merlin of releasing Mordred and of abducting you.'

"He's what?" Morgana turned to Merlin who appeared as surprised as she felt.

'I've tried to tell him that he's got it all backwards,' Arthur said. 'That it's all  _your_  idea and Merlin's the one being strung along, but he won't hear of it.'

Morgana another confused look towards Merlin who was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Or perhaps you're  _both_  wrong, Arthur," he managed. "Perhaps we're in this together. Equal partners. Bonnie and Clyde."

'Don't be ridiculous, Merlin.'

'Either way it's not looking good for you,' Gwen continued. 'News of this has now been made public and your descriptions are everywhere. I honestly can't see how you can go undetected.'

'Probably best to turn yourself in,' Arthur agreed. 'Perhaps, in Morgana's case, Dad will finally listen to what Gaius has been saying about that Purple setting and reserve it only for truly dangerous criminals, and I'm sure I can persuade them to be lenient on Merlin... considering.'

"And Mordred?" Merlin asked, catching her eye and with no sign of amusement on his face now.

There was a long, ominous silence.

"There is no way he's going back into that horrible place!" she shouted. "He's finally free, as am I, and we're  _not_  going back to being slaves."

'Don't be so dramatic, Morgana.'

"I'm afraid I have to agree with her on this one," Merlin said calmly. "There is no way Mordred is going anywhere near Camelot."

'I know he's young,' Arthur said. 'I know something needs to change but what you've done is wrong. You've broken the law and I'm shocked that you both felt the need to go behind my back like that.'

"And I'm shocked that you still don't understand why we had to," Morgana retorted. "Arthur, you have to see. You  _have_  to help."

"Look, we both wanted to talk to you," Merlin said. "We needed to explain but, as you said, we are being hunted so we really should get a move on."

'Phone us again soon,' Gwen said. 'Please. I need to know you're safe.'

"We'll see," Merlin replied. "We'll try." And he quickly ended the phone call and threw the phone out the window into the nearby field.

"What? Why did you do that?" Morgana asked him.

"I heard this strange noise and thought the call was probably being traced."

"You really think Arthur and Gwen would have gone along with that?"

"Possibly. Or it may have been done without their knowledge, but it is best we don't take any chances. If the Knights do find the phone here they'll think we're heading toward the Channel Tunnel, so let's get moving quickly north and west and hope that we can keep one step ahead of them."

"So, where  _are_  we going now?"

"Well, we're heading towards Gloucester but it's getting late so we may have to stop before then."

"Gloucester?"

"Yes. There's someone I'd like to talk to before we travel onto Eden."

~o~0~o~

And so they were off again, following a route on the car's satnav which avoided most major roads. During the drive they talked a little about their conversation with Arthur and Gwen, coming to terms with what had been said and discussing Uther's reaction to it all.

However, it wasn't long before they started to relax and enjoy the ride. The sun was out, the roads they were driving down were quiet and the views were beautiful. They took short breaks in out-of-the-way places and would play games and sing songs to keep themselves amused. Mordred was soon looking happier than Morgana had ever seen him. With his Gauntlet now tamed and the car taking them further and further away from all the unpleasant memories, he could start to be a little boy again, just enjoying his freedom and the scenery.

By the late afternoon, the temperature had risen further and the windows were quickly rolled down. Morgana adjusted her sunglasses and turned her face towards the sun, enjoying the feeling of the warm breeze on her face and breathing in the clean, fresh air. She turned briefly to see Merlin smiling as he drove, looking more relaxed than he had in days. Mordred had also turned towards the sun, one hand trailing outside the open window and a rare smile stretched across his face.

"This is what true freedom feels like," Merlin declared. "Not just freedom from the Gauntlets but from the city too. Sometimes I think everyone in London is a prisoner, even those without magic. Being out in the countryside always makes me feel better and I think that's because magic is so intrinsically tied to nature and the land."

Morgana nodded, "I've always been a bit of a city girl but I think I see what you mean. It is beautiful out here." She turned back to look out of the window. "The sun will be going down soon, have you any idea where we'll be sleeping tonight?"

Merlin frowned. "I'm trying to decide the best option. I was going to book us into a hotel but, if what Gwen says is true, that might not be the best choice."

"Don't you have any other contacts?"

"Not close enough and no safe houses that I know of around here." He bit his lip, contemplating. "I was thinking of just roughing it in the car or putting up the tent somewhere random, but I really don't want to draw attention to ourselves."

Morgana turned to look the large pack on the back seat which she never had got around to asking about. "Oh, it's a  _tent_."

He grinned. "So I was thinking about a compromise. There's a campsite not far from here. Official enough not to break any vagrancy laws but hopefully casual enough not to gain too much attention. Let's hope Percival was right and we can pass as a family with little comment."

She pulled a face. "Camping?"

"Sorry, city girl. Just for one night, I promise, and most of these sites have showers and stuff."

"They do?"

He smirked at her.  _"A bit of... water therapy required, perhaps?"_

" _But..."_  She tipped her head towards the boy.

" _Yeah, we can't leave him alone so we it'll have to be individual water therapy perhaps."_

" _Getting withdrawal symptoms?"_ she asked him with a smirk.

" _Been a bit too busy up until now but seeing you looking so relaxed and beautiful here... yes, perhaps a little."_

She grinned at the compliment before turned back towards the window. "Look at the sky over there, Mordred. It's going to be a beautiful sunset."

"Magical, in fact," Merlin declared with a broad grin.

~o~0~o~

* * *

_**A/N:**  Finally I've reached the scene that inspired the whole fic - the 'From Eden' video starring Katie McGrath. Go watch it if you haven't already and experience a nice sense of deja vu. :)_

[ _https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI0wUoCLnLk_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI0wUoCLnLk)

__Funny thing is, I expected to get to this point a lot earlier but the 'setting up' took far longer than expected._ _


	19. Family Camping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:Warning for anyone with Ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) Proceed with caution after the first ~o~0~o~ break.

**Saturday**

Merlin still wasn't confident about the three of them pulling off the family act but Morgana dismissed his concern, knowing it was unfounded.

"I know we're a bit young to have a nine year old child," she said. "But Mordred's quite small for his age and we can easily pass as a few years older. Honestly you heard what Percival and Gwaine said. People will just assume it when they look at us, anyway."

"But if our descriptions are now public?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure we're exactly what most people will imagine when they think of criminal child abductors, and it's not as if our looks are especially unique, anyway. Come on, we'll be fine." She turned to Mordred with a gentle smile. "But we  _can't_  use magic. That will  _definitely_  blow our cover."

The boy nodded. "I understand and I'm tired again, anyway. I promise I'll be good."

As she suspected, the papers and rings Gwaine had provided them and Mordred looking so like his 'parents', meant they weren't given a second glance when they checked into the camp.

They were to set up on the far edge of the site, not far from a woodland walk and river, and Merlin and Mordred laughed at Morgana's total lack of camping skills whilst they expertly started setting up the tent.

"Have you been camping before?" Merlin asked the boy.

He nodded. "A few times. Both in Care and with foster parents."

Morgana exchanged a look with Merlin who nodded encouragingly. "And what of your parents?" she asked the boy gently.

He shrugged. "I don't really remember them. It's always been Care and foster homes."

"And recently?" Merlin asked. "When you were at the school?"

"The latest foster family. They were all right. I like you two better."

Merlin and Morgana exchanged another look.

"It might not be that simple, Mordred," Merlin said. "I hope you can have a secure home at Eden but, right now, nothing much is certain and I'm likely to be given other work to do once I get back there, anyway."

Mordred just shrugged before turning back to continue setting up the tent, and his casual reaction broke Morgana's heart. The boy had never once had a secure home and just as he was thinking he was free and had found two parents he could connect with, he had to come to terms with the fact that he'd be passed over to someone else – yet again.

**Saturday Evening**

Mordred fell asleep quickly that night and so Merlin and Morgana spent some sitting outside their tent by a small fire, holding hands and talking in hushed voices. It wasn't long before she brought up her own thoughts on Mordred and his lack of family.

"I just didn't want to give the boy false hope," Merlin explained. "As much as he needs security right now, it seemed wrong to lie to him. There's currently no guarantee we'll even reach Eden."

"I'm sure we will."

Merlin smiled at that. "All the same, it's important he knows that he can't just chose us as his parents. I mean, we're not really married and... well I didn't free you from one piece of jewellery just to enslave you with another. You should be able to chose your own life – as much as you're able. Eden can give you a new identity and you'll then have plenty of choices."

"That's good to know," she replied. "Although I'm happy to stay with you for now, and sometimes..." She sighed. "Mordred isn't the only one who's been toying with the idea of Happy Families. If there was a way for us three to be together then, well, I certainly wouldn't complain."

Merlin turned to her, abruptly. "You wouldn't?"

"Why so surprised? I thought perhaps you felt it too. This bond we have with Mordred? As if all three of us belonged together somehow?"

He frowned. "I'm not sure about that. Destiny has an annoying habit of pushing us onto the path of her choosing. Sometimes that can feel like yet another type of prison."

"What do you mean?"

Merlin paused for a few seconds. "If Mordred is this child of Prophecy, then his fate is tied to mine and to Arthur's. I've not heard that you have a part to play in all of this, but I'd say that's probably likely."

"I still don't understand."

"These feelings you have. That  _we_  have. They might be for another purpose, they might not be... real."

"What rubbish!"

He looked up at her, surprised by her outburst. "There's just so much I need to tell you about all of this. Of Eden's role and of mine. It's just not as straight forward as you think."

"Then tell me."

He nodded. "It is said that Arthur has a purpose in all of this. That he'll ultimately be the one to set us free. I had hoped that that meant he would have slowly come around to our ideas  _whilst_  we were at Camelot and, leaving him now... well that's been worrying me. As if I've made some critical mistake by being caught."

"You are not his keeper, Merlin. Arthur is big enough to control his own fate."

"Actually, in many ways I  _am_  his keeper. It has been my destiny to stay by his side and help him to see the errors of Uther's ways but, unfortunately, we're now to be on opposite sides of the country with him believing that I've betrayed him."

"And I'm not a part of this?" she asked. "You're saying it's my fault somehow, for stealing you away from Arthur and encouraging you to cheat on him?"

He turned, shocked at her comment before noticing her smirk and realising he was being teased.

"I really don't know your part in all of this, to be honest. Hopefully we can find out more when we reach Eden, although you're right that some within the group do think that our relationship has messed things up. Of course, it could just as easily be part of the grand plan and that you and I meeting and getting involved is actually a part of the prophecy."

"Rubbish, as I said. I don't need some ancient prophecy dictating my emotions. I know how I feel. About you  _and_  Mordred."

"Really?" Merlin tipped his head to one side contemplating her with a small smile. "How  _do_  you feel?"

She smiled slyly. "Cold. I think it's time to go inside."

~o~0~o~

She was running for her life.

The corridor was dark and slippery underfoot, with quiet cries and moans echoing all around. She turned a corner and came across her father. He called her name, pleading with her to come back, but she had never felt much love for Uther before, and now...? Now he represented everything that she'd hated about her life before her magic had been released. She had to get away from him immediately.

She spun around and headed off again.

As she made it through the door into the laboratory, her path was blocked by Gaius begging her to stop and rest. In many ways the old man had been more of a father to her over the years than Uther, but she knew she could not trust him now. Not when he worked against their kind. Not when he helped to imprison children in dark cells and manipulate their Gauntlets to keep them docile.

She shook her head and pushed passed him, running down yet more corridors to escape from Camelot.

The streets of London were wet with rain and full of people staring at her with unfriendly eyes. Gwen called to her then, begging her to slow down, to come to the pub and sit down for a talk, but she was having none of it. Her friend was in love with her brother and did not approve of her magic. She would have Morgana turn herself in and that was something she could never do. She  _had_  to be free.

She continued to run, faster and faster, until the wet, grey streets were nothing more than a blur.

The dark roads had changed to bright country lanes with Arthur now in pursuit. He was her annoying little brother but, unlike her father, she had always found it easy to love him. But he had betrayed her. He was the reason she had been forced to run. She would  _not_  go back to him now.

She made a few sharp turns and dashed through a gap in a hedge.

She was running across a field next to a river, heading towards a dark wood on the horizon. Merlin and Mordred were standing outside their tent, calling her name, pleading with her to come with them, but she knew she could not. They had abandoned her, just as everyone else had, and now she was on her own.

Alone and afraid.

She ran into the wood, having no idea of her destination, simply knowing she had to get away from everyone who'd betrayed her. She didn't know how long she ran for, but it wasn't long before the ground felt slippery and unstable beneath her feet. Unseen things were moving all around her, hissing and slithering, but she did her best to ignore them and push forwards.

Something brushed against her face and she screamed, batting it away, even as more followed in quick succession. Their touches were feather-light and she soon discovered that they were small white moths flitting around her face, whilst the more ominous movement around her feet continued.

Then she stopped, horrified, as the whole forest floor came alive with slithering snakes; hundreds of them, red, yellow, green and blue weaving around each other and hissing loudly.

The moths had now grown larger and more substantial until they became tiny white dragons breathing fire at her. The snakes were bigger too, with the blue ones now starting to wind themselves up her legs. Higher and higher they climbed and, no matter what she did, Morgana couldn't shake them off. As they reached her waist their skin darkened and sparkled, with one especially large one reaching up to her shoulder before slowly winding itself down her arm.

It rolled around her bicep, her elbow and then finally reached her wrist; a dark, purple snake gripping tighter and tighter until...

~o~0~o~

"It's all right Morgana, I'm here. Hush now, it was just a dream."

"Snakes... everywhere!" she sobbed. "Huge ones and moths and... dragons breathing fire! I had to get away." She took a huge breath, clutching at Merlin furiously, before burying her head against his shoulder.

"Hush, there are no snakes here and  _definitely_  no dragons. You're safe."

"You left me," she cried. " _Everyone_  abandoned me."

"I'm here, Gana.  _We're_  here. You're not alone."

She pulled away then, to see Mordred sitting up in bed and staring at her, wide-eyed. His face was a ghostly blue and it took Morgana a moment to realise that the tent was being lit by one of Merlin's magical lights, bobbing in mid air just above their heads.

"It felt real," she said. "It felt like one of my 'true' dreams."

"Which I've been meaning to talk to you about," Merlin said. "But... snakes and dragons?" he smiled at her, an eyebrow raised.

She shook her head, suddenly feeling foolish. "You're right. It did feel like the others at the time but it couldn't have been. The others all came true but they were realistic dreams – visions. This one was..."

"Just like an ordinary nightmare. Abstract?"

She frowned. "I suppose."

"The others have come true, you say?"

She nodded. "Do you remember how I said I sensed danger when we were escaping with Mordred?"

"Yes."

"I dreamt about that over two years ago, Merlin. Running down the corridor with you and Mordred and coming across Arthur in the laboratory."

"Really?"

She saw the look on his face and shrugged. "It was only a vague feeling of deja-vu though and I only remembered each moment at it happened. When I originally had the dream I hadn't even met you and didn't know who you two were. I doubt I would have remembered any of it if you'd asked me before the event."

"That is a very rare and very special gift," Merlin said. "And I think that, in time, you could learn to control that much as you have your other magic and start to remember it beforehand." He turned towards Mordred. "Do you think you can get back to sleep now? I'll just stay up and talk with Morgana for a bit."

The boy nodded and lie back down. "Just as long as her dream  _doesn't_  come true," he mumbled. "I don't like snakes."

Morgana shuddered, suddenly recalling the sensation of them crawling all over her. Generally she wasn't scared of the creatures but having so many of them act like that hadn't been at all pleasant.

" _It couldn't be true,"_ Merlin reassured her again.  _"The only dragon here is your brooch, and there's nothing bigger than little adders and grass snakes in this area."_

" _I know, but it just felt so real."_

He nodded.  _"Tell me about your other dreams if you can."_

She nodded and lay back down in her sleeping bag next to Merlin and started to talk about all those dreams she had had before - all those she'd already spoken to Gaius about and could now recall easily. Merlin gently held and stroked her hand throughout, asking a few questions but, at some point, exhaustion overtook her and she gratefully fell into a dreamless sleep.

**Sunday Morning**

Inevitably they got off to a late start the following day and Merlin didn't push the issue, giving them all time to wash, eat and slowly pack the tent away. There was still plenty of time to reach Gloucester, especially with quieter roads on a Sunday and, anyway, he was keen to continue the conversation with Morgana about her dreams, as well as answering a few of her questions about Eden and what was to happen next.

Another beautiful, sunny day, made the preparations easier than they might otherwise have been and, to Morgana, the strange nightmare seemed to fade even quicker than the ones she'd had before. Apart from a little sleepiness she had no problem putting the memory of it all to one side and enjoying the drive; the three of them - the little magical family - back on the road again and heading for safety.

Morgana spent most of this next part of the journey sitting on the back seat with Mordred, trying to get the child to open up a bit more. The boy seemed reluctant to discuss his birth family or specifics of his life growing up, so she came at it from another angle, talking with him about magic and what he'd been able to do.

Merlin listened in but didn't talk to the boy directly, simply sending a few silent suggestions her way. Despite the fact that Mordred was able to use telepathy, Merlin seemed to have the knack of directing his communication to either of them without the other one being able to hear.

" _How do you do that?"_  she asked. It seemed that, once he'd made the connection with her, her replies were automatically private too.

" _I'm not sure if I can explain it,"_  he said. " _I just think of you and channel it your way. Perhaps you could see if you can do it. Try to talk to just me, but make it an unimportant comment just in case it doesn't work."_

She had a few tries but Mordred always 'heard' what she was saying and she had no idea whether it was a skill she could improve with practice or something unique about Merlin's ability. Regardless of that, she continued to talk to Mordred and make up some games for him to play, with Merlin happily joining as they looked out for certain colour cars, or played travelling variations of I-spy.

Gwen's warning had made Merlin especially nervous about stopping in public places and he had hoped they would be able to travel straight there. Unfortunately, they inevitably had to top the car up with petrol and take a couple of toilet breaks as they made their way north and west.

On these occasions, they would split up with only one of them taking Mordred in whilst the other stayed in the car and going in afterwards. Anything to avoid being seen as two dark haired, pale-skinned parents and child, as they were sure that their descriptions would have been put out on the news channels and newspapers by now.

As the day went on the little group became more and more nervous, their happy car games now a thing of the past, and the weather seemed to reflect their mood, becoming slowly more cloudy as they travelled north and west.

"Nearly there," Merlin kept saying, even when the question wasn't asked. "Edwin is a bit of a recluse so we'll be able to keep a low profile when we reach his place."

"Oh?"

"Yes." Merlin frowned slightly before continuing. "He had an accident as a child and got burnt, and he's very self conscious as a result. You won't stare, will you, Mordred? His appearance might come as a shock, but I promise he's perfectly harmless and is likely to be a great help to us."

"I won't," the boy replied. "It's hardly his fault."

"Well said."

" _How_  will Edwin help us?" Morgana asked.

"He's Eden's version of Gaius," Merlin replied. "Our expert on the Gauntlets and he has some amazing ideas on how to get them to work better for us. I'm hoping he can give me a little advice and some advanced lessons and may even be able give us some even better versions to wear. Ones which will help us gain even more control of our magic."

"And  _then_  we head off to Eden?" she asked.

"Then we head off to Eden," Merlin confirmed.

~o~0~o~

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I actually like snakes but found that even in cringed as I wrote and edited that dream section, so I thought a warning would be appropriate.
> 
> Writing is still a bit slow but I remain over five chapters ahead and am now not far from the end, so it's all going well. thank you for reading this and leaving such nice comments.


	20. A Remedy for Tiredness

**Sunday Afternoon**

Despite their destination being cited as Gloucester, Edwin's house was situated just outside of the city, part of a complex which had obviously once been a Victorian farm.

They entered via a long, gravel track which wound around the side of the large barn before opening out into the square courtyard where a variety of long, low buildings were arranged along its sides. Despite these having obviously once been a stable complex, piggery, sheds and barns, the structures were now smart and clean and dressed up to look far more domestic than they would have been originally.

Having parked and taken their luggage out of the car, the three approached the main building, the old farmhouse. Before they'd even knocked, the old wooden door creaked open to reveal a man with a cowl over his head and his face in shadow. Remembering Merlin's words, Morgana made a point of gently smiling as he lowered the hood during their introductions and Mordred, although he moved a little closer to her, didn't react to the severe burn scars on Edwin's face either.

"I don't scare you?" the man asked in a gentle voice, prompting Mordred to shake his head furiously. "Good lad. Come in, all of you, please. My house is yours for as long as you have need of it."

"Thank you, Edwin," Merlin said.

"You're all over the news, by the way," the man continued, pointing at a tatty looking television set in the corner of the quaint reception room. "Surprised you made it here at all, to be honest. Although they seem to be focusing all their efforts on the crossings to France, for some reason."

"Ah, I'm glad my misdirection worked," Merlin replied. "That probably explains why no-one's has paid much attention to us over this way."

Edwin nodded. "It's good news. So, let me show you to your rooms where you can freshen up a bit. Then perhaps you'd like to come down to my personal laboratory and we can compare notes on our Gauntlet research?"

"Of course," Merlin replied. "I would love to learn from the master..." Edwin gave a short head-bow in response. "...and Morgana's keen to study too."

"Good, good," he said as he lead them down the corridor into another part of the house and then up some stairs. "And I take it you've adjusted the ones you're wearing now?"

"Ah yes. Pretty essential in the case of these two," Merlin admitted.

"I'm sure. I would be most curious to see what you've been doing with them."

Merlin visibly winced and Morgana was amused by his concern about being subtly 'told off' by the older man.

"This old farm was a Bed and Breakfast before I acquired it," Edwin explained as he lead them through a door at a fast pace. "And we're moving into a more modern extension built during that time. This little suite had interconnecting doors for larger families so I thought it would be ideal for you. You can sleep in one room with three beds or spread yourselves out over two or three. I've set up the usual magic shields within this whole area but feel free to add your own, Merlin." He smiled slyly. "Seeing  _you're_  the master in such matters."

He grinned back. "Thank you."

"Two bathrooms here as well, both en-suite and also with the usual magical protections."

"This is wonderful, Edwin," Morgana said, sincerely as she took note of the large and elegant rooms. "Thank you."

He nodded again. "A nice change for you after the last couple of days, I imagine."

Mordred seemed uncertain which room to take. Ordinarily a boy of his age would have jumped at the chance to sleep on his own but, after the trauma of that prison cell, he had been appreciating Merlin and Morgana's close proximity.

Merlin's only real concern was to be close enough to keep an eye on the boy's magic and intervene if necessary. With Edwin's shield spells and a couple of others added for good measure, Mordred was soon convinced that having own room was the best option for him. After all, there was only a single door separating them and he could always call the adults silently if required.

The two en-suites bathrooms were very much like the one at Merlin's house; wet rooms tiled from wall to floor and protected by magical shields. Despite being keen to get back downstairs and talk to Edwin, Merlin took some time to show Mordred how water could be used to release and dampen any excess magic; turning on the tap and running his Gauntlet under it, just as he'd shown Morgana when he first started training her.

Perhaps unsurprisingly the boy mastered the skill immediately, even managing to create a little ball of water which he allowed to bob above their heads for a moment. Laughing, Merlin 'caught' the ball with his magic and sent it dancing towards Morgana.

She held up a hand and stopped it just before it was about to hit her face, tipping her head and studying it curiously. She could feel the water wanting to revert to its natural state, but being fully clothed was an extra incentive to keep it contained. So, with a gentle push, she sent the ball back towards the boys, and the three passed it around the bathroom a few times before Merlin threw it towards the shower cubical where it could collapse harmlessly with a large splash.

Now feeling very much more relaxed and refreshed, the three made their way back downstairs where Edwin offered them glasses of real lemonade and a small piece of cake.

"I hope you don't mind a late meal tonight," he apologised. "But I thought it best to talk Gauntlets sooner rather than later."

"Yes, of course," Merlin said, immediately handing over the latest one he'd recently pilfered from Camelot.

"Ah, good," the man said, turning it over in his hands and studying it intently. "More security added, I assume?"

"Yes," Merlin said with an exaggerated sigh. "And they've also made the blocks much stronger. It's becoming really difficult to cut through all the layers in order to increase the absorbency."

"Yes, yes, I can see that." Edwin continued to stare at the Gauntlet for a moment before looking up when he became away of his attentive audience, with even Mordred interested in what was going on. "Come and bring your drinks and cakes through to my laboratory then," he continued. "Just please be careful not to spill anything."

And he scurried off in the opposite direction he'd taken them before. Down a corridor and then through a creaky old door which opened up into an enormous, beamed space. The visitors stood and blinked in awe.

"The old barn," Edwin replied with a dismissive wave of his arm. "Good place to work – although it can get a bit cold in here during the winter."

It wasn't just the size of the space that had Morgana in awe. In the centre was the longest wooden table she had ever seen which appeared to have been constructed from a single, ancient oak tree and, on top of it, sat the most amazing array of Gauntlets, spare parts, electronic machinery and tools of all sizes. The whole place was a wonderful clutter.

"This is brilliant!" Mordred declared.

"It's a mess, but I thank you for your enthusiasm," Edwin replied. "Come and show me what you're doing to adjust these, Merlin and I'll see if I can help suggest some other ways of bypassing the security. I'll also take a look at the ones you're currently wearing, if you don't mind. It's likely I can swap them for some which will give you all more freedom, but be far less obvious if any Knights happen to scan them."

"That sounds great," Merlin said. "And some general lessons for these two as well, perhaps? I haven't really had the time to teach them even the basics – especially not Mordred - and they need to learn as much skill as possible considering their circumstances."

"Oh?" Edwin asked.

"They're Silver too."

"Really? That's most interesting." He smiled at them. "You'll have a great advantage in this work then, not needing to own a Knights' Shield in order to adjust your Gauntlet." He held up a rectangular object then, just a little wider than the average television remote control and all three of his guests moved closer, curious to see a device close up. "A Blue sorcerer such as myself requires a little outside assistance."

Morgana gaped. "How did you manage to acquire a Shield?"

Edwin touched his nose and smirked. "I have my methods."

The next hour or so flew by as Edwin and Merlin exchanged notes and patiently answered all the questions Morgana and Mordred threw at them. When their stomachs started to protest, they reluctantly moved back to the farm house for a casserole which had been in the slow cooker for most of the day.

It was getting late for Mordred by this point, and so Morgana took him back to the guest suite whilst Merlin and Edwin continued their more advanced Gauntlet discussions. She made sure the boy had everything he needed and tucked him in with a kiss on the head, promising that she wouldn't be too far away.

"Stay next door?" he asked, sleepily, reaching out to stroke her dragon brooch.

"I'll be going back to Edwin's laboratory for a bit," she said. "But you know you can call me or Merlin silently if you need anything."

The boy widened his bright, blue eyes and pouted slightly, before giving her a reluctant nod and closing his eyes with a sigh. Morgana hovered at the door for a few moments before quietly closing it, only heading back downstairs when she was sure Mordred had fallen asleep, desperately trying to shake the strange guilt she felt for leaving him. Was this what it was like to be a parent, she wondered. To spend so much of your time worrying about your child rather than yourself? Certainly she'd never felt this sort of concern about Arthur, even when he had seemed very much younger than her.

A cup of coffee was waiting for her when she returned to the barn and, soon afterwards, their host handed her a tatty old Gauntlet and set her the task of trying to unlock it.

"Unfortunately that's just step one," Edwin said an hour later when she had finally succeeded. "That one has no significant security set up on it but, with practice, you should be able to release a fully operational Red or Yellow Gauntlet and perhaps, eventually, one of the high level pieces."

"What about the ones we're wearing now?" she asked.

"They'd be easier to adjust than the colour they  _appea_ r to be," Merlin replied. "But we can't drop all the security systems within them otherwise they'd fail to act as a block for any magical outburst and, more importantly, would show up as having been tampered with when checked by official equipment."

"Always a thin line to walk," Edwin agreed. "To give us  _some_  control back without putting anyone in danger or alerting the authorities. It's another reason why having a Knights' Shield is so useful as I can also use it to see if your Gauntlets will pass the scrutiny if checked officially."

"I see," she said. "But Eden only has this one?"

"As far as I know." Edwin grinned. "You know I wouldn't complain if you happened to 'come across' another."

**Sunday Evening**

"Well, that's probably enough for tonight," Merlin said a little later. "Best get some sleep ready for the journey tomorrow."

"Oh, but you must stay another day," Edwin said.

"Ah, are you sure?"

"Of course. I could see how stressed you all were from your time on the road. This place is completely off anyone's radar. Honestly you can stay even longer that that if you wish."

"Thank you," Merlin replied. "Although we really do need to get Mordred to Eden."

Edwin's expression changed abruptly. "Ah yes, of course."

~o~0~o~

Morgana did feel exceptionally tired, yawning widely as she came out of the bathroom and headed towards the double bed they were to share. Merlin blocked her path with a soft smile.

"What?" she asked.

"Are you  _really_  tired?"

"Well, yes...?" she said, not getting his point at first.

"Only Mordred's fast asleep and we have this nice enclosed shower room with magical blocks on it."

"Oh..."

"So perhaps...?" He moved closer and gently stroked her cheek.

"Yes," she gasped, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him enthusiastically. "Yes please."

~o~0~o~

It seemed like weeks since they'd last made love although, in truth, it had only been a few days. However, it did feel different this time, with the couple very conscious of Mordred being in the next room.

Not that it made it any less enjoyable, as their nervousness about the company meant the act became less frantic and more loving somehow. They went slower and focused on each other more, keeping far quieter than had been their custom before.

Morgana admitted that it was something she might like to repeat even when they were properly alone.

"It is good to know that we can do that so calmly," Merlin agreed as they lay in bed afterwards. "It's nice to think we can be just like normal couples and eventually be able to make love spontaneously without having to think about shields and water all the time."

"Yes," she replied as she snuggled up against his shoulder. "I'd like that."

Morgana thought Merlin might have said something else then but the comforting heaviness of sleep was enveloping her and she recalled nothing more until the morning.

**Monday Morning**

After breakfast the four sorcerers headed back into Edwin's barn to continue their Gauntlet work. Mordred was given the task which Morgana had started with the night before, whilst Morgana was given one that was apparently a little more challenging. Further down the table, Merlin and Edwin were focusing on their own project, heads close together as they whispered furiously about some technicality or other.

It took the two novices a long time to learn how to unlock the 'blank' Gauntlets and then, just as they were starting to get the hang of those, they were given the standard Yellow ones and instantly set off the security within them. Morgana had honestly thought Edwin and Merlin had been exaggerating the skill required to open and control them, but apparently they'd been telling the whole truth.

Merlin's calm requests for patience only served to frustrate her more, despite knowing that, just like her general magic, she was still a beginner in comparison to the years he'd been studying. Mordred also struggled to stay calm, but then it was obvious from that playground incident that he wasn't a naturally patient person either. When the alarm on the next bracelet he was working on buzzed, the boy threw the offending item on the floor with a shout, shorting out his own Gauntlet in the process.

Merlin promptly abandoned his own work in order to give some more general magic control lessons to Mordred, which meant Morgana was able to benefit from some tuition from Edwin. She found his instructions especially easy to follow, not because he was necessarily a better teacher than Merlin, but because he was more detached from her emotionally, which somehow made it far easier for her to focus.

**Monday Afternoon**

"What is the rush, anyway?" Morgana asked as Merlin started talking about moving on again the following day.

He and Edwin exchanged a long look. "Mordred needs to get to Eden," Merlin replied, eventually.

"So you keep saying, but  _why_?"

There was another long pause. "I honestly don't believe it is safe for him to be anywhere else right now."

"And you know he'll be safe there?"

"It's the very best place he can be, yes," Merlin replied.

She shook her head, still not fully understanding.

"Of course, there's no reason why Morgana needs to leave at all," Edwin said. "She's more than welcome to stay here whilst you drop the boy off, and then I can continue to teach her to work the Gauntlets."

There was a long silence as they contemplated this.

"What do you think, Gana?" Merlin asked. "I suppose I always assumed you'd be safer with me but, with the three of us being hunted, perhaps it  _is_  better that I take Mordred on my own from here. Not only will the two of us be less conspicuous but it'll be far easier for me to transport out in an emergency."

"And I could also teach you  _that_  skill whilst you're here, Morgana," Edwin said. "It is rather difficult and not one every sorcerer is capable of, but there's next to no chance of you learning it whilst you're on the run."

Learning to transport? That was really very tempting, but the thought of being away from the other two felt wrong somehow and Mordred's wide-eyed, pleading look was telling its own story - begging her to stay with him.

And what about her recent nightmare where she had accused Merlin and Mordred of abandoning her? What if that  _had_  been a true vision after all? What if it  _had_  been telling the future in some way and giving her some abstract hint that she might not be as safe here with Edwin as they all thought.

"I want to come with you."

She had replied before fully acknowledged her decision. Instinct finding the answer for her. Mordred smiled broadly turning to look up at Merlin.

"Of course," he replied with a smile of his own. "I'm glad."

"I agree you need to get over to Eden soon," Edwin said. "But surely it won't hurt to have one more day here? Gather your strength. Learn a little more about the Gauntlets?"

"I suppose..." Merlin nodded. "One more day then, but we really must leave tomorrow."

~o~0~o~


	21. Queen Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really sorry, you were supposed to get the previous chapter 'A Remedy for Tiredness' LAST Sunday but, for some reason it just got posted as a draft and didn't go out.
> 
> Oh well, good news is that you get two chapters today. Although you may be wishing I'd made that mistake last week and not this.
> 
> I have also added my beautiful new book cover to the first chapter. An early Christmas gift from the talented Wil1969

**Tuesday Evening**

With the day spent working on the Gauntlets, and Mordred in bed by eight, Merlin and Morgana were able to enjoy most of the evening alone, finally allowing her to ask a few of the hundreds of questions that she hadn't been able to before.

"Do you think we could risk contacting Arthur or Gwen again?" she began as the couple sat together on a small sofa in the interconnecting living room, fingers intertwined.

"Possibly," he replied, gently stroking her hand with his thumb. "Hopefully the fuss will have started to die down by now. Especially if they've convinced themselves we've gone to France."

She frowned. "Hopefully."

"I think it might be better to contact Gwen," Merlin continued. "As she shouldn't be kept under such close scrutiny. I'll see if Edwin has one of those disposable phones here – most of our operatives do."

"That's good. When do you think we can call her?"

"Probably best to wait until we're closer to the mountains. Hopefully the poor signal over there will hinder their search efforts."

"Mountains?" Morgana queried. "So we  _are_  going into Wales?"

He grinned. "The old Celtic countries have always been the most sympathetic as far as magic users are concerned. It's where the ability came from, after all."

"It is?"

He nodded. "The ancient Celts used magic, yes. The Romans came up with all sorts of propaganda about sacrifices and unsavoury rituals, but that was mostly to justify their slaughter of the Druids at the time. From then on, all the various invaders continued to be convinced that the old ways were barbaric and often persecuted magic users."

"I didn't know that."

He nodded again. "Some of the facts about the Celts are coming to light now, thanks to modern archaeology, but those of us who are descended from those magicians have always known the truth of it. We've always known that the invaders killed the Druids because they were afraid of their power, just as the Prime Minister and your father say the Gauntlets are for the public safety when it's really because of their own fear."

"But none of those invaders succeeded. The skill lived on."

"Fortunately, yes, and there's no sign of it fading. Which means we need to find better ways of dealing with it in the long term."

"I see." She bit her lip, thoughtfully. "And so, does the Welsh Assembly support Eden and their plans?"

"They're sympathetic to our cause, yes. As are the Nationalist parties in Scotland and Northern Ireland. There are rumours that the upcoming General Election will start to shake things up and Downing Street might  _finally_  have to start taking notice, whichever party gets in."

"I see." Morgana paused for a moment before asking her next question. "So, are you going to tell me why you're quite so desperate to get Mordred over there?"

Merlin frowned, as if debating telling her. "It's this prophecy, you see," he said eventually. "It hints that Arthur will help bring about an age of freedom for magic users and, from what I've seen of him and the power he'll inherit from your father, I'm inclined to believe it could be true."

She scoffed at the suggestion. "He's not been much help so far."

"He let us go, didn't he?"

She shrugged. "I suppose."

"And, as you said yourself, it's obvious that he doesn't believe in all the measures Uther advocates. With Gwen influencing him too…?"

"And Mordred?" Morgana asked. "What of  _his_ destiny?"

Merlin winced. "Yes well, it is said that Mordred is the cause of Arthur's death and yet..."

"What!" She certainly hadn't expected that.

"Yeah, that's what all the fuss is about. And there's enough doubt placed on the words of the prophecy and their translations over the years to have caused a lot of confusion within Eden itself."

"But he's just a harmless boy. How can anyone believe that of him?"

Merlin turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "Harmless? After what he did to those boys in the school playground? And the way he reacted yesterday when he set off the security on that Yellow Gauntlet."

"He's just young, that's all, and those Gauntlets  _were_  challenging."

Merlin shook his head. "You know, so many people say that about children to excuse their behaviour – that they're 'only three' and 'only seven' and then 'only twelve' – but I think, in my admittedly limited experience, that what you see as a young child is pretty much what you see in the adult. Mordred is naturally impatient and impetuous and his early upbringing has simply encouraged those traits."

"But upbringing  _does_  make a difference," she insisted.

"It does, and it's possible that he is still young enough to be influenced, but I just couldn't take that chance, Morgana. I couldn't leave him there with that prophecy hanging over all of our heads. What if he had pushed through that Gauntlet and caused Arthur to be injured by accident? What if his lack of control indirectly caused your brother's death?"

"I've told you before, I think this whole destiny thing is rubbish. You can't base your whole life on such things."

Merlin shrugged. "Perhaps not, but we're constantly making decisions about our lives every minute of the day. Who's to say that we're not  _always_  being nudged in one direction or another by some outside force."

Morgana opened her mouth to continue her argument but quickly closed it again when she considered her recent actions. Hadn't she just made her own decision based on a dream? And one which both she and Merlin had decided couldn't possibly have been a true vision. Hadn't she decided to continued travelling with Merlin simply because she didn't want to be left behind?

"I'm sure you're wrong about him," was all she said instead. "He's a good boy who's just had a tough start in life, that's all."

"I'm sure that's the case," Merlin said with an encouraging smile. "But I'll still feel a lot happier when he's finally out of reach of Camelot. If we get captured and he gets taken back there…?" He shook his head. "Honestly I'm more worried about him now as a child than I would be in years to come when he's an adult. He really can't be allowed to go anywhere near Arthur whilst he's still angry and unable to control his magic."

She nodded. "Of course. I understand and I'm not complaining. Actually, I'm now very excited about seeing Eden and all your mysterious friends."

Merlin laughed. "Don't get your hopes up. They really are exceptionally ordinary."

"Aw, don't spoil the illusion." She grinned broadly and accepted his passionate kiss before they moved next door to get ready for bed.

**Wednesday**

The next morning they were up early to pack their bags into the car before breakfast. After saying their goodbyes they set off wearing Edwin's special, tweaked Gauntlets, and carrying a number of his and Camelot's prototypes in their luggage to take on to Eden. Having enjoyed the relaxed nature of their stay in what had felt like a  _very_  safe house, the trio were now back out in public and soon starting to feel nervous again.

They had left the farmhouse with bags full of food and a tank full of petrol in the hope that there would be little reason to stop as they headed further west towards the Welsh border. Morgana tried to lighten their mood with more car games but it was a lost cause; even the weather reflecting their sombre mood as dark clouds gathered and spots of rain started to appear on the windows. Soon, even Merlin's wild optimism was flagging.

Their chosen route consisted of mostly minor roads with the occasional stretch of motorway which would hopefully speed up the journey. Unfortunately the worsening weather and some major road works slowed their progress and they were required to stop for a toilet break whilst still in England. With any luck the busy motorway service station near the border would provide them with more anonymity than a quiet, countryside pub or café would.

"What now?" Morgana asked as they finally found an empty space in the heaving car park.

"I think it's probably best we split up as we did before," Merlin said.

She nodded. "And not be seen as a threesome. Yes, I agree."

"I'll go in with Mordred and you follow. Feel free to visit the shops if you need anything and then head back here when you're ready."

So, Morgana sat in the car for a few minutes, watching the pair head towards the main building until they disappeared from view. Then she left and locked up behind her, tucking her long hair up in a cap and keeping her head down.

It was really busy here today, helping her to merge with the crowd, but she ended up having to wait in a long queue before she was able to use the toilet. She browsed the stationary shop briefly, contemplating buying herself a magazine and sweets for the journey and wondering if Mordred would consider himself too old for a cuddly toy. In the end though she left with nothing, suddenly experiencing an overwhelming need to get back to the boys. Seeing no sign of the pair in the main concourse, she headed back towards the entrance and stood on the top of the steps leading down to the car park, looking around to remind herself of where they'd parked.

What she saw then made her cry out in shock.

There, just a little way from the bottom of the steps, were a group of four Knights approaching Merlin and Mordred and pointing their Gauntlet Shields straight towards them. The pair were pinned in with cars behind them and crowds of people all around and had little chance of escape, short of transporting out.

"No!" she shouted as she moved to the top of the stairs.

Luckily the large crowd meant she was not immediately noticed and so she paused again, taking advantage of her good position and calling silently to Merlin.

" _Don't come any closer, Morgana,"_ he replied, as he spotted her making her cautious way down the stairs.  _"Go back inside and hopefully they won't notice you."_

" _No way,"_ she replied.  _"I'm not letting them take you."_

And, before she'd really given it any logical thought, Morgana rushed forwards, pushing through the crowd and carefully started to focus her magic.

"Let them go," she shouted at the Knights. "It's me you want.  _I'm_  the one with the magic!"

The knights immediately turned to face her and she held up a hand in a threatening manner, trying to look a lot more confident than she felt. On seeing the move, several members of public screamed and began to pull away from her.

" _Morgana! What are you doing?"_ Merlin asked. He had one arm around Mordred's shoulder and his eyes were darting left and right, trying to size up the situation and find an escape route.

"Ah, and here's the third one," the eldest of the Knights said calmly, moving slightly towards her. "Morgana, you might as well come quietly. There is nowhere to run and our Shields will not let you use magic here."

She kept her hand raised and took another step forward. "Are you quite sure about that?"

" _Be careful, Morgana,"_  Mordred begged.

There were a few more shouts from the crowd as the audience debated between watching the show or escaping back to their own cars. "Just keep calm and keep your distance," the youngest man instructed in a clear, loud voice. "There is nothing to fear. Knight Aredian will soon have these criminals subdued."

The Knight in question, moved a little closer too Morgana with a sly smile, raising his Shield and, without really thinking about it, Morgana moved her hand towards his position and focused her magic through her Gauntlet. To everyone's surprise, including her own, her magic surged easily and Aredian was thrown wildly up in the air before landing heavily on his back. There were more shrieks from the crowd and the other Knights hesitated, torn between securing Merlin and Mordred and checking up on their colleague.

"How did she do that?" the youngest knight asked.

" _Go!"_  Morgana said to Merlin.  _"Transport Mordred and get out of here."_

" _Not without you."_

She analysed the situation and shook her head. The Knights were still standing in-between them, and Merlin would not be able to reach her  _and_  escape, and she couldn't get to him now that the Knights were on full alert.

"Now then, Morgana, there's no need for anyone to get hurt," Aredian said in a voice which seemed exceptionally calm, considering the situation. "Just come down here very slowly and don't give us any more trouble."

She laughed at that, still holding her hand up and enjoying seeing a flicker of fear cross the Knights' faces. Perhaps the three of them could still escape? If they all used their magic at the same time...?

" _We could, I suppose, but..."_

She nodded, understanding that the only reason the Knights weren't keeping a close eye on Merlin was because they believed him to have no magic. One of them was edging closer to Mordred whilst the others now focused on her. Her boyfriend, however, was being almost completely ignored.

" _I just need you to come closer,"_  Merlin said.  _"Wait until the very last minute, and then I can transport us all out before they realise_."

" _But I'm not sure how to get over to you unless we_ all _use our magic,"_ she replied.

" _And I'm not sure if even that will work. Especially seeing Mordred does not yet have full control."_

" _We must try something,"_ the boy said.  _"We can't just leave her there."_

But Morgana wasn't so sure.  _"Remember what you said, Merlin? Mordred_ has _to get to Eden. If he's captured here, you know where he'll be sent?"_

" _Back to Camelot."_  She could sense Merlin's panic at the thought.

" _Better that it's me. I'll keep them distracted and then the two of you can transport away away."_

Aredian raised his Shield device and she responded by stabbing her hand forward in a threatening manner, desperate to keep them all off balance long enough for the boys to get away. The movement made the man pause.

" _Morgana..."_ Merlin pleaded.

" _I'll tell them Dad was right,"_ she continued. Still trying to distract the Knights.  _"I'll tell him that you lead me astray and that I'm sorry for my part in it all. I'm family, so I know they won't hurt me and that way we can be sure that Arthur and Mordred are safe."_

" _I thought you didn't believe in the prophecy."_

" _I don't want any harm to come to either of them, or you. Best not to take any chances."_

" _We're_ not _leaving you behind…"_

Merlin had also started forward, trying to reach her but the move alerted the youngest of the Knights who suddenly turned towards the pair, his Shield getting perilously close to Mordred. Merlin halted, pulling the boy towards him, looking over his shoulder to see what other alternatives were left open to him. Morgana could see he had none. She pushed her magic forwards again, flooring another of the Knights.

" _Go!"_ she insisted, her silent voice now betraying her desperation.  _"You_ have _to leave whilst you still can."_

" _I_ will _come back for you. I promise and..."_ Merlin hugged Mordred even closer as he looked this way and that.  _"I love you."_ And the pair disappeared in a wild whirl of wind and dust.

Despite insisting they left, Morgana couldn't help but feel a sudden emptiness when they'd gone, and Merlin's parting words had made her heart race for an entirely different reason.

Some of the crowd screamed as the pair transported whilst others gasped in shock. The Knights all looked stunned and even Aredian looking visibly confused. No sorcerer should have been able to transport whilst so close to their Shields but, more to the point, everyone had been able to see Merlin's Red Gauntlet and hadn't considered him any threat.

"I thought you said he didn't have magic," the youngest Knight accused Aredian.

The eldest Knight shook his head slightly, not knowing how to reply, before turning his attention back to Morgana. "And  _you_  should not be able to use magic here either."

"You understand  _nothing_  about it," she shouted, making sure everyone could hear. "I am  _not_  the criminal here. I rescued a child who had been imprisoned without trial, whilst the Knights, whom everyone believes protects them, were the ones who had captured him in the first place. I do have magic but I am  _not_  the one you should fear."

Aredian took a step forwards then and Morgana again held up her hand to push him away. However, using magic constantly was tiring at the best of times and it seemed that these Shields  _were_  having some effect on her after all. At that point, the man pressed a couple of buttons, and Morgana felt a vibration shudder through her body and began to panic. Her next magic attempt did little more than cause Aredian to take a small step backwards and unfortunately, with most of her attention on him, she had let one of the others out of her sight.

She was grabbed roughly from behind, an arm around her neck, whilst another pinned  _her_  arms against her body, and Aredian took advantage of her shock to move even closer, holding his Shield so close to her face that she sagged under its influence.

Then, the Knight behind her snapped a Gauntlet on her empty left wrist and she cried out as pins and needles surged through her body and dizziness overcame her. She shook her head, trying to dispel the sensation. It had been weeks since she'd experienced anything like this.

"Please… it hurts..."

She looked down at the new Gauntlet, trying to remember Edwin's lessons and work out what sort of security this had on it. Perhaps the modified one on her right wrist might help to neutralise its power?

Unfortunately, Aredian obviously had the same thought, quickly placing his Shield against her own Gauntlet and soon managing to unlock and remove it. Then he turned his attention to the new one.

Morgana tried desperately to fight back but she knew it was a hopeless cause. She needed tools as well as magic and, right now, she couldn't find even the smallest bit of control to cast any sort of spell. The Gauntlet on her left wrist rapidly flickered through the rainbow before settling on its final colour.

Purple.

Morgana screamed as she realised what was happening, falling to her knees as the Knight behind her let her go. The pins and needles increased and turned into severe pain, accompanied by a strange hissing sound which seemed to vibrate throughout her whole body. She felt sick and dizzy and everything hurt.

_'They can kill people. Innocent people. I know that from personal experience.'_

" _Merlin!"_ she called silently. Desperately.  _"Are you still nearby?"_ But, even if he were, it was unlikely her telepathy would work whilst wearing this new Gauntlet.  _"Please help me!"_

Finally, mercifully, darkness descended upon her and she passed out. Her last thought was of Mordred and Merlin and if she'd ever wake to see them again.

~o~0~o~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~ Runs and hides ~


	22. Snakes and Dragons

She was running across a field next to a river, heading towards a dark wood on the horizon. Merlin and Mordred were standing outside their tent, calling her name, pleading with her to come with them, but she knew she could not. They had abandoned her, just as everyone else had, and now she was on her own.

Alone and afraid.

"I've been here before," she realised. "I've  _dreamt_  this before. Am I still dreaming?"

"There are no dragons and no snakes," Merlin had said but they were everywhere now; some of them winding their way up her legs whilst numerous miniature dragons flew around her head, breathing fire.

"I  _told_  you this was real," she said.

"No, it's just a dream."

She turned back, looking down at the hundreds of snakes, and then up, but now there was only one small, white dragon flitting around her head. The others had all turned back to moths.

"Just a dream?" she wondered.

"No, I'm real," the white dragon replied, looking slightly offended. "My name is Aithusa, I'm yours and I promise I won't let them hurt you."

"I don't know where I am, Aithusa," she said. "I don't know where this is."

"It is here," the dragon replied, unhelpfully.

She was in the wood one minute, then suddenly in Camelot's laboratory and after that a small, cosy living room with a real wood fire.

"Can you hear a buzz?" she asked then, shaking her head.

"It's the snakes," the dragon replied from her place on the fireside mat. "They hiss."

"No, it's everywhere. It's in my ears and vibrating all through my body."

"It's  _that_  snake," Aithusa said, pointing with her muzzle. "The purple one around your wrist."

Morgana stared at it as it flickered between the image of a snake and a Gauntlet. "The  _prison_  around my wrist," she whispered.

"Yes."

"Merlin will rescue me again."

"Will he?"

"He said he loved me."

"Are you sure?"

She paused, trying to remember. "No. Not really."

Morgana looked up to find she was back in the wood with snakes all around her and the little white dragon now sitting on a nearby tree stump. As she looked at her wrist, the flickering image settled to a very clear metal Gauntlet and she tried to make some sense of it all.

"They put a purple Gauntlet on me," she remembered. "Am I dead?"

"It's hard to tell," Aithusa replied, unemotionally. "Perhaps."

"Merlin said it kills people."

"Some people, yes."

"It killed his childhood sweetheart and, if he loses me this way too..." She shook her head. "It'll break his heart."

"They're taking you home," Aithusa continued. "Taking you back."

"Dad will take it off then. Or Gauis. They'll lower the setting."

"Are you sure?"

She shook her head. "I'm not even sure if this is real. I don't even know if I'm alive."

~o~0~o~

Morgana started to become aware of the movement of a vehicle and, for a while, imagined she was back with Merlin and Mordred, driving through the countryside with the window wound down and her sunglasses on. She closed her eyes and felt the sun on her face and the breeze through her hair. It was perfect. She didn't think she could ever remember a time when she had felt so content.

However, as she opened her eyes, her surroundings betrayed her, as did the presence of a small, white dragon sitting in the corner of the prison van which was transporting her.

"They're taking me back to Camelot," she said with a sigh.

"If _you make it that far."_  Aithusa came over and nudged at the Gauntlet again.  _"You need to do something about this."_

"How? It's Purple and I don't have any tools."

" _You're wearing a brooch, aren't you?"_

"Of course!"

Morgana quickly unpinned the little dragon from her shirt and stared at it for a moment, trying to reconcile the image of that and the apparently real white dragon sitting on the floor in front of her. Shaking her head in an attempt to overcome the confusion, she placed the pin of the brooch in-between her fingers and started to work it against the points on the Gauntlet, as she'd been shown.

"I only just started to learn this stuff and I'm finding it really hard to concentrate."

" _Don't try to remove it,"_  the dragon instructed.  _"You'll only set off the alarms. Just lower the setting a bit. You remember what Edwin showed you?"_

"I'm not sure… I'm feeling very dizzy."

" _Try. Press that point and push with your magic at the same time."_

"Magic? With this on?"

" _You're Silver. Try."_

"Okay."

She pushed and winced, waiting for an alarm to sound. Fortunately only silence greeted her along with a slight decrease in the pain.

"I did it?"

" _Perhaps you could try again?"_  Aithusa suggested.  _"Drop it even further?"_

"I don't think I have the energy," Morgana admitted. "All I want to do now is sleep."

~o~0~o~

She had no idea how long she'd slept for, but it felt as if it had been a long time, somewhere dark, deep and warm. She heard her name called several times but, at first, it was far too difficult to respond. Slowly, painfully, she tried to wake herself up and reply.

"Morgana?"

She forced her eyes open to see a vaguely familiar blur in front of her, but the bright lights all around the figure made her head throb and she quickly closed them again.

"Please," she begged. "The pain..."

"The Knights have put her on a Purple setting," a second, familiar voice said. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"It can be, yes."

"The you  _must_  drop it down."

There was a pause and Morgana forced her eyes open to see the first blurred face was now much closer. She blinked as grey hair slowly came into focus. "Gaius?"

"Yes, I'm here. Did you change this setting, Morgana?"

"I tried to. It hurt."

"She changed it?  _How_  could she change it?"

"Arthur?"

"Yes, it's me. Gaius… if it's true what she and Merlin said, then you can't keep her on this colour. Dad wouldn't want her to suffer like this."

"Like what?" Morgana heard Uther's familiar voice and winced, instinctively pulling away as he approached. "Morgana! How are you? Why did no-one tell me she had returned?"

"The Knights weren't very clear with their message," Gaius explained. "I wasn't sure who was coming in. I called for you as soon as I realised."

Her father came closer still and Morgana whimpered fearfully, pulling her knees up onto the chair.

"What is she acting like that? Why is she in this chair? Where is the  _real_  criminal?"

"Ah, as I said, the Knights didn't really say..."

"Get Aredian in here now! I need to know what happened and I need to have that boy caught. First he seduces my daughter and then radicalises her.  _He's_  the one who should be wearing Purple, not her."

"I was just about to reduce the setting," Gaius said.

"Then do so."

"I'm just not sure how low to take it. I don't know what level she is."

"Silver," Morgana mumbled.

"What's she on about?" Uther pushed. "Why is she acting like this?"

" _Shh, you're not supposed to tell them,"_  Aithusa warned.  _"It's a secret, remember?"_ Morgana looked up and blinked, surprised to hear that particular voice in Camelot's laboratory. She giggled and pointed towards the nearest computer screen.

"What?" Gaius looked around, confused.

"There's a dragon on your work top," she declared.

The three men exchanged a confused and concerned look. "Drop it down  _now_!" Uther ordered, an edge of desperation in his voice.

"I'll put it down to Blue and see what happens," Gaius said, scurrying forwards quickly. "It's half-way towards that setting anyway."

Of course, this new Gauntlet had been placed on her left wrist and so, with everyone's attention focused on what Gaius was doing, it was fairly inevitable that someone was going to notice the other piece of jewellery she was wearing.

"What is that?" Uther said. "Is that a… wedding ring?"

"What? It can't be," Arthur said. "When would they have had the time?"

"Explain!" Uther demanded of her. "Why are you wearing this ring?"

But as he came close she reacted instinctively trying to pull her hand back away, shaking her head furiously.

"You sent for me, Uther?"

Morgana would recognise that sinister voice anywhere. She whimpered as Aredian strode into the room, tucking her legs up even closer and pressing her head against knees, only her left hand now sticking out, held firmly in Gaius' grasp.

"I wouldn't adjust that, if I were you," the Knight said. "Very powerful sorceress that one. Managed to perform several spells whilst in close proximity to our Shields."

"How is that possible?" Arthur asked.

"She was wearing a modified Gauntlet," Aredian said. "It seemed to react normally, but we were only able to fully subdue her once it was removed."

"You have it?" Gaius asked.

"I do," the man said, handing it over. "And there were others in her bag. I'm assuming her two accomplices were wearing something similar."

"But how?" Arthur asked. "How could she adjust them without official equipment?"

"It shouldn't be possible," Gaius agreed. "Gauntlets are designed to block any attempts to modify them or use magic to modify others."

"It must have been the other one," Uther insisted. "It must have been this Merlin."

"Dad, I've told you. He's a Red and anyway…. It's just Merlin."

Despite her fear and confusion, Morgana couldn't help but feel amused by Arthur's determination not to see what was right in front of him. Her reaction may not have been obvious, but her brother apparently saw Gaius and Aredian's expressions. "What?"

"He transported himself and the boy away," Aredian explained. "Transportation whilst wearing a Gauntlet and standing right next to a Knights' Shield. Morgana here managed a few impressive spells, but she wasn't able to transport as they did."

"But I've seen her do that disappearing trick before," Arthur said. "She must have been allowing Merlin and the boy escape."

"I can't transport," she mumbled. "Merlin hadn't got around to teaching me yet."

" _Merlin_  hadn't?"

"I told you, it's  _all_  him," Uther insisted. "Morgana's innocent of no other crime than falling under his spell."

The Knight shook his head. "They  _both_  have magic, Uther. I saw it with my own eyes and have the bruises to prove it. My whole team were witnesses too, along with about a hundred bystanders."

"But you let him escape?" Uther continued.

"We will capture him and the boy, never fear. We have already alerted our teams in Wales and will be travelling back out there first thing tomorrow."

"Thank you for passing this on," Gaius said. "Your information was very useful, as was this haul of adjusted Gauntlets."

The man almost imperceptibly tipped his head and then left, smirking at the sight of Morgana still cowering in the chair. She raised a hand towards him then, hissing, and was rewarded by seeing a flicker of fear appear on the man's normally smarmy features. Aithusa then chased after him then, breathing fire.

It was such a shame she wasn't real.

"Merlin has magic?" Arthur repeated, almost to himself.

"Equal partners, as he said," Morgana replied, her head starting to become a little clearer now the setting had been dropped down to Blue. "Bonnie and Clyde. Although he is actually a lot more powerful than I am."

Gaius was shaking his head. "To be able to transport in that situation though..."

"Well, it would certainly explain how the prisoners escaped," Uther said. "I want him found and brought back here for trial."

"No! You won't touch him," Morgana snarled. "You couldn't anyway. He's far too powerful. None of you would stand a chance. I love him and I agree with everything he's trying to do."

So much for her promise to pretend she was the victim in all of this.

"The Blue setting is obviously helping her to become more coherent," Gaius said. "But I'm not sure we can fully trust her words or her judgement whilst it's still set so high."

"I will  _not_  believe she is to blame here and I refuse to let her stay in a cell," Uther said. "She will be released to my care. Under house arrest. Her PA can look after her and you, Gaius, can check on her and help undo all the enchantments that sorcerer has employed."

"Enchantments?" the old man asked.

"He has radicalised her, as I said, but I shall not lose her to his evil. She will be looked after and cared for until she returns to her right mind."

Morgana gave a slightly manic giggle.

" _Go along with it,"_  Aithusa suggested.  _"Anything to get that setting lowered further."_

"Right," Gaius said, looking up from her Gauntlet. "I think that's good enough for now. I'd better go with her to your house, Uther, if that's where you want her kept, and perhaps Arthur can come too?"

"Yes, a good idea. Take her PA too, ah..."

"Her name's Gwen," Arthur supplied, with a touch of impatience in his voice. "Then what?"

"Well, I just want to monitor her really," Gaius continued. "And perhaps lower the setting a little more after I've seen how she reacts to this level."

" _You should let him,"_  Aithusa said.  _"But continue to act meek and confused. Then, hopefully it'll drop low enough for you to unlock it."_

"And get my own Gauntlet back."

"I'm going to have to study that," Gaius said and Morgana realised that she'd accidentally spoken out loud. "Perhaps when you're feeling better you can explain the modifications that have been made to it."

"Perhaps," she replied, non-committally.

She was released from the chair then and asked to stand, although she was unable to do so without Arthur's help, still exceptionally disorientated from the Gauntlet's still high setting.

"Perhaps it would be best if  _I_  went to fetch Gwen," Gaius suggested as he noticed how much support Morgana was needing. "Then we can both meet you at the car to be driven to Uther's house?"

"Yes, do that now," her father said. "I have a meeting to get back to, but I'll certainly give the three of you the rest of the day off in order to see her settled." He moved closer, obviously intending to offer some affectionate gesture, but Morgana was still a slave to her instincts and couldn't help but back away. At least she managed to stop herself from hissing as she had when faced with Aredian.

Fortunately she tripped then, hopefully disguising her reaction and Arthur took hold of her arm a little more firmly and offered her some encouraging comments.

Aithusa was right, Morgana realised. She had to try to act meekly and exaggerate her incapacity until her senses fully returned and she was able to plan her escape.

~o~0~o~


	23. A Gilded Cage

Morgana flopped down on the back seat of Arthur's car; Gwen sitting on one side of her and Gaius on the other. Still feeling tired and exceptionally confused, she let her head rest down on Gwen's shoulder and took comfort from her friend's reassuring presence.

"Oh, Morgana, you poor thing," she whispered. "I do wish you had told us."

"Merlin..." She wasn't sure why she'd called out his name, or what she'd planned to say next. Only that he was very suddenly on her mind.

Arthur, driving the car, turned his head slightly at the mention of his friend's name. "Merlin has magic too, Gwen, did you know?"

"Surely not?" his girlfriend replied. "He's Red."

"I knew there was _something_ unusual about that young man," Gaius mumbled.

"I still find it difficult to believe," Arthur continued. "Perhaps Aredian was confused."

"No," Gaius disagreed. "I don't think so. Merlin's test weren't especially clear and, in hindsight, it all makes perfect sense."

"He'll come and rescue me again," Morgana declared.

"Rescue you from what?" Arthur said. "You're home now."

" _Don't trust_ any _of them,_ " Aithusa said.

"But they're my friends."

" _Are they?"_

" _Who_ are your friends?" Gwen asked gently. Morgana shook her head. Aithusa had been right before. Best to keep quiet until her head was clear.

She was feeling exceptionally drowsy and, each time she fell asleep, she would dream of that sunny evening drive with Merlin and Mordred. She already missed the two of them so much and wished they hadn't been separated so cruelly. By now they should have all been in Wales and perhaps even at Eden already. She hoped, at least, that Merlin and Mordred had made it there safely.

"Hush," Gwen whispered gently. "It'll be all right."

Morgana wondered what it was she'd accidentally said out loud.

She remained disorientated for quite some time. Aithusa kept talking to her and confusing the issue so that Morgana had no idea if she was replying out loud or not, and her dreams continued to get mixed with reality so that she'd think she was back on the road to Wales, or at Edwin's farm, or in the tent camping with Merlin and Mordred.

It was as if she was constantly hopping back and forth between those places, as well as Arthur's car and her old childhood home. In fact, when she first entered her father's large house in the suburbs, she thought for a moment that she'd travelled even further back in time and was still living there as a child.

Whatever it was she said as they walked through the door, certainly amused Arthur.

Being back in her old bedroom was likely to confuse her even more, she decided, as she clambered onto her bed; although there was a certain comfort at being here. Gwen brought her some food when she was said she was hungry, but had to take most of it away when Morgana was only able to manage a few mouthfuls, due to a sudden bout of nausea.

"I suppose I can lower it a _little_ more," Gaius said when Gwen expressed concern. "Although I will need to monitor her closely, just in case."

" _Almost down to Green now,"_ Aithusa observed. _"And at least they've not taken away your brooch."_

"Is it worth the risk?" she asked.

" _Of course it is. You don't want to keep that thing on, do you?"_

"Is _what_ worth the risk, Morgana?" Gaius asked her.

"No," she replied to Aithusa, confusing the old man completely.

Aithusa giggled. _"I think perhaps you_ should _keep talking to me, after all. Get them_ really _worried and drop that setting right down."_

"Good idea."

"Morgana, can you tell me what you're thinking right now?" Gaius pushed. "What you're feeling?"

"Tired, dizzy and confused," she admitted. "And I miss Merlin and Mordred." She absent-mindedly fingered the ring on her left hand.

"I'm sure."

"Is that… a wedding ring?" Gwen asked, coming forward to take a closer look.

"We checked her bags thoroughly," Gaius said. "And although she has both her real and false documents in there, there was no sign of anything official to say they're married."

"Gwen and I saw them both on Thursday night," Arthur said. "And there was no ring then, was there?"

"No. I'm sure I would have noticed." She felt Gwen lift up her hand. "Was this just for cover, Morgana?"

"I now pronounce you, husband and wife," she replied, quoting Gwaine.

"What does _that_ mean?"

Gaius sighed. "It's going to take some time to get the full story, I fear. The purple setting can be a problem for some sorcerers to deal with, even after it's been lowered."

"But she will get better?"

"I'm sure she will."

Morgana wondered if the others had also heard the uncertainty in Gaius' reply.

The old man wanted to stay with Morgana as much as possible, seeing he was the only one who would stand a chance of controlling her if she did manage to cast a spell. However, he couldn't _always_ be there and Gwen was usually around when he wasn't, especially at night time when she needed help getting ready for bed.

"How are you feeling, Morgana?" her friend asked when she'd been settled into bed one night.

"Still tired and… time's a bit funny."

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure how much time has passed and everything jumps around."

"But you're feeling better today? You know where you are and who I am?"

Morgana looked up then, alerted by something in her friend's voice. "I think so. Why?"

Gwen looked over at the door and then lowered her voice still further. "I got a text earlier today."

Morgana's eyes widened. "Merlin? He said he might contact you."

"Yes and he did. He asked after you and said to tell you that they both made it and are safe and well."

"Oh, that's good. Did you reply? What did you say?" she asked, but a knock on the door stopped the conversation as Uther asked to come in and check on her. On seeing him, Morgana instantly retreated into her self-imposed shell and remembered little else for quite some time. In fact, she slept _so_ deeply that night that she suspected her drink had been spiked with something.

~o~0~o~

Aithusa woke Morgana up in the middle of the night and suggested she adjusted her Gauntlet. Despite her sleepiness, she was able to find her dragon brooch and drop the level a little, enough to feel a little more lucid immediately afterwards and have fewer odd dreams. Her success was short-lived, however, as the very first thing Gaius did the following morning was check it and berate her for tampering with it.

"How are you doing this, Morgana?" he demanded. "I know you don't have a Shield device and you shouldn't have any control of your magic whilst wearing such a high setting anyway."

She shook her head. "Can't say. It's a secret."

"Seriously, you must stop it, otherwise I'll have no other choice but to put it back up again."

"But then I get ill," she complained. "You should be _lowering_ it."

The old man sighed and offered her a glass of water.

" _Definitely spiked,"_ Aithusa commented as Morgana dropped back down into another deep sleep.

~o~0~o~

The frustrating thing was that she honestly didn't know what the best approach was and was rarely able to trust her own judgement. Aithusa obviously wasn't real and Morgana _knew_ she wasn't real and yet she kept doing what the dragon said, even when it continued to get her in trouble. If only she could clear her head and be herself for a couple of hours, then she might be able to figure out the best course of action.

"You must stop this! Please!"

Morgana blinked, surprised to find her father kneeling on the floor next to her and looking very upset. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen Uther in such a state; face grey and drawn and his eyes red and tearful.

"Stop what?" she asked.

"Using magic. Tampering with your Gauntlet. I brought you here because I couldn't bear to see you in pain or in a cell but, don't you see, Morgana, if you don't behave then I'll have no choice. How can I justify my position in the company otherwise?"

"You're a hypocrite," she snarled at him. "You'll allow me the luxury of house arrest and let Gaius lower my setting, but you weren't so keen with Gilly or Mordred, were you?"

"That's not the same thing at all."

"Of _cours_ e it is. If the Purple setting is wrong for me then it's wrong for them, and I know that _you_ know that it sometimes kills people. I was close enough to experiencing it for myself to understand that."

"No, I would _never_ let that happen to you."

"You see? Hypocrite, as I said," she snarled. "I hate your job and I hate you!"

"Morgana… please…."

"Morgana!" Arthur was there whispering urgently. "I know you're not yourself, but neither is Dad. You _have_ to stop this."

"Stop what?"

"Fighting us."

"Never! I'm a prisoner here and we're _all_ prisoners to the Gauntlets. Why won't you listen?"

"Morgana, please," Gwen urged. "You must trust us. You _must_ let us look after you."

"Why should I?"

Morgana noticed her friend exchange a look with Arthur as he started to steer their father out of the room and her brother gave a firm nod in return. Morgana blinked at the bowed figure and frowned as she heard a strange sound. Was Uther crying?

"I still don't know what's happening," she said, more softly this time.

"I know," Gwen said. "I _do_ understand and Gaius would lower the setting further if only we could be certain you wouldn't keep trying to tamper with it yourself."

"I… I don't always know I'm doing it."

"Yes, we know." Again Gwen looked over her shoulder. " _Please_ try to concentrate this time. Please try to remember."

"This time?"

She lowered her voice. "I'm still exchanging messages with Merlin."

"Merlin…?" Morgana shook her head, trying to clear the fog. "He left me, Gwen."

"No, you told him to get Mordred safe."

She frowned, confused to suddenly find tears falling down her cheeks. "I miss him so much."

"I know."

"I miss him in my bed."

"Morgana!"

"You have no idea… the way it feels when he's inside me."

"Ssh, not so loud." Gwen giggled. "You know Arthur won't appreciate you saying things like that."

She shook her head. "I don't mean like that… well, not _just_ like that. We often talk silently, you see. We hear each other's thoughts."

"Ah, I see."

"Have you any idea what that's like? He's in my head, I'm in his. He only told me he loved me once, but I heard it so many times before that. It seemed like he always said it – whispered it – deep down."

"That's… beautiful," Gwen admitted.

"But I never told him out loud."

"But you _do_ love him?"

"Of course I do."

"Then he must know," Gwen reasoned. "I mean, if you were reading each others thoughts as you said?"

Morgana sighed. "I suppose. It's not the same thing though, is it?"

"You can tell him next time."

"If there is a next time."

"Of course there will be. I told you."

"Told me what?"

Gwen laughed. "Oh, Morgana. What are we going to do with you."

~o~0~o~

The biggest problem for Morgana was that her dreams often felt more convincing than reality. Times spent with Merlin and Mordred in the garden of a beautiful cottage, felt real, as did sunny drives on a long, open road, or deliciously intimate times with Merlin in the shower.

He would tell her he loved her, Mordred would call her 'mum' and she'd be sitting with them in front of a television with their baby daughter cradled in her arms.

These scenes and conversations seemed crystal clear and Morgana was always in her right mind during them, whereas the conversations at her father's house were always fragmented and fuzzy and never made any sense.

To make matters worse, some of her dreams were set in the farmhouse with Merlin and Edwin teaching her how to adjust a Gauntlet and then, inevitably, she'd wake up to find Gaius standing over her, one eyebrow raised threateningly, telling her off for playing with the settings when she'd promised to leave them alone.

And Aithusa wasn't any help; usually appearing to her in the real world and therefore making it even harder for Morgana to tell fact from fiction.

**Some Time Later**

"But I can't," Arthur was saying.

"I'm not sure there's any choice right now," said Gaius as he released Morgana's wrist and stepped away. She blinked as the world came into slightly better focus.

"But why me?" her brother continued. "There are plenty of people in Camelot with far more experience."

"But Uther named you. He trained you to take over from him."

"Take over?" Arthur sounded shocked. "But he's just taking a little time off. He'll be better soon."

"Dad's ill?" Morgana asked.

"Yes!" She could hear the exasperation in her brother's voice. "How many times?"

"Hush, Arthur," Gwen said gently. "You know she's not well either."

"I know, I know." He sounded as if he was close to tears. "It's just a nightmare! All of it. Are you sure that's as far as you can lower her setting?"

Gaius sighed. "Her eyes already seem a little more focused but I just can't trust her to take it down as far as Green, Arthur, I'm sorry. I'm afraid I just don't know enough about what's going on here to help any further."

"If you don't, who does?"

"You _know_ the answer to that," Gwen replied pointedly.

"How can I justify such a thing though? How would I get permission?"

"You could try?"

"I think it'll depend on what happens in the General Election."

"Please Arthur," Gaius interrupted. "You really need to attend this meeting at Camelot."

"All right, all right. I'll do it."

"Perhaps you could ask anyway. Whilst you're there?" Gwen asked.

Arthur sighed. "One thing at a time, I think. Don't you?"

~o~0~o~


	24. Amnesty

" _It's going to be all right, Morgana."_

The voice was distant with an echoing quality to it, reminiscent of most of her recent delusions.

" _You always say that, but this time is different,"_ she replied.

" _Why?"_

" _Because… you're not really here."_

" _Depends what you mean by 'here'."_

" _That really isn't helping, Aithusa."_

There was a long pause. _"Who's Aithusa?"_

Morgana groaned as she tried to work out what was going on.

" _I'm sorry I left but, as you said at the time, there wasn't very much choice. I'll be back with you soon. I promise."_

" _Merlin?"_

~o~0~o~

"Gwen?" Morgana asked when she next became more aware of her surroundings "What's happening? What's going on? I'm so confused."

" _We need to get that setting lowered."_

" _Not now, Aithusa."_

"It's been a difficult time what with your illness _and_ your dad's," Gwen replied. "Arthur's doing his best but he's under so much pressure from both sides."

"Both sides of what?"

"The election took place last week."

"The General Election?" she asked. "I… I think I remember someone saying something about that."

"So, of course, that's causing even more issues."

"I wish I could remember." Morgana blinked, trying to get her bearings, trying to recall how much time had passed. Then she looked down at the Gauntlet which was still on her left wrist and blinked. "Where's my ring?"

"Uther insisted you took it off."

She glared at Gwen. "I want it back and my brooch too."

"I'm not sure that will be possible."

She shook her head. "Nothing makes any sense."

"You're doing fine, Morgana and I do think you're getting better."

"I'm not sure about that. I'm don't think I'll ever get out of here."

"Here?" Gwen asked.

"This prison."

"You're not in prison, Morgana. You're at home, remember?"

"Not this..." she said pointing to her surroundings before lifting her left wrist. " _This_ prison."

Gwen sighed deeply. "Gaius is doing his best, but you do keep playing with it."

"Do I?"

"That's why he had to take your brooch away."

"Oh... I'm sorry." She frowned, rolling the Gauntlet around her wrist and desperately trying to focus. "When can I have my wedding ring back?"

~o~0~o~

"We have to lower that setting immediately."

"No, Aithusa," Morgana said. "I keep telling you. We're not allowed."

"Aithusa? Why does she keep calling me that?"

"I've no idea," Gwen replied, "But she mentions the name a lot."

"I think it's the dragon," Arthur said.

"Dragon?" The voice was very familiar but Morgana just felt too sleepy to focus.

"The invisible one she keeps talking to."

There was a long pause.

"She really hasn't been at all well," Gwen explained.

"Well, that's the Purple setting for you. Hopefully I can fix it."

"What is it you plan on doing?" Gaius asked.

"I need to change the Gauntlet's absorbency. That's the key."

"It is?"

"Yes, her magic needs to be allowed to escape."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Gaius asked.

"It worked before."

A familiar hand held hers and rolled the Gauntlet around her wrist. She felt a slight pressure and a buzz and then, suddenly more clarity than she had in a long while.

" _Can you hear me, Morgana?"_

" _Merlin?"_

"I think it's working. Finally."

She shook her head, suddenly very alert. "What are you doing here, Merlin? You can't be here? What if Dad comes downstairs. Or Arthur?"

"I'm already here, Morgana," her brother replied. "I'm the one who called Merlin."

There was another click and buzz at her wrist and the room spun violently before suddenly coming into even clearer focus.

"Arthur?" Morgana blinked and looked around, as if seeing the scene for the first time.

She was sitting in one of the chairs of her father's living room; Gaius on the other and Arthur and Gwen on the settee. Kneeling on the floor next to her was Merlin, one hand around her wrist, whilst he pressed a pin against her Gauntlet.

She giggled. "Isn't this a bit public for a proposal, Merlin?"

"W-what?"

Gwen laughed. "Actually, it does look a bit like that."

Morgana looked around the room again. "Where's Mordred?"

Merlin gave her an intense look. "Where do you _think_ he is? I wasn't bringing him back here, was I?"

She frowned, trying to get her thoughts together. "Oh, of course not. He's okay though?"

"He's fine. He misses you, obviously, but..." He nodded towards Arthur.

"Yeah, I remember now."

"Merlin, I'm offended," her brother said. "The Sorcerers' Amnesty doesn't just apply to you. The boy was welcome to come here with you."

Merlin exchanged a wry look with her. "Thanks, Arthur, but it's a bit more complicated than that." He pressed the pin against another couple of points and the loud buzz, which had been continuous since the Purple Gauntlet was first put on her, became nothing more than a hiss. "There, that'll do for now but it's going to take quite a bit more work. She really shouldn't have stayed on such a high setting for so long."

"I did try to lower it," Gaius said. "But she was confused and kept trying to adjust it herself."

"I kept having these strange dreams," Morgana explained. "I honestly didn't know what was real and what wasn't."

"Like Aithusa?" Merlin asked with a smile.

She gaped at him and then turned her head rapidly, looking for all the dragon's favourite perches. "Oh… she's gone."

"Probably a good sign?"

"I suppose so..."

She's always known Aithusa wasn't real and she had always been getting her into trouble but, all the same, Morgana felt suddenly sad at the prospect of never seeing the little dragon again. She automatically reached for the brooch to find _that_ had also gone.

"We had to remove her little dragon pin too," Gaius explained. "She kept using it as a tool."

Merlin laughed. "All that dragon's fault then, eh, Morgana?"

She nodded, still trying to get her thoughts in some sort of order. "They took away my wedding ring too, Merlin. They kept saying it wasn't real."

Merlin blinked. "But, it _wasn't_ real, Gana. It was just something Gwaine gave us for our cover, remember?"

She frowned. "Not really. I seem to remember something about a garden and a cottage and..." The image of her and Merlin sitting on the sofa with Mordred and a baby surfaced, but she remembered just in time that that had been a dream. "Never mind. I'm still a bit confused and very, very tired."

"I know. It'll take some time to get you healthy again." He grinned broadly. "But I'm here now so I'm quite sure you _will_ recover." Arthur rolled his eyes, unseen, behind him.

"She should perhaps get to bed?" Gwen asked Merlin.

"Yes, sleep will be the best thing for her now."

"But what about Dad? Won't he…?" Another memory returned and she suddenly sat upright, horrified. "He's after you, Merlin. He wanted to capture you. This is probably a trap. You have to run!"

Arthur sighed loudly. "I told you, Morgana. I invited Merlin today and, anyway, there's an amnesty on unregistered sorcerers in place now."

"An amnesty?"

"Yes," Gaius confirmed. "Anyone who's Gauntlet status is… out of date… can come into any registered site to be reassessed, as per the Prime Minster's new policy."

She tried to shake herself awake. "What new policy?"

"Each person is to be assessed as an individual and will have some say on their Gauntlet setting. Assuming no other crime has been committed they will be a lot more freedom, although there will, inevitably, also be a lot more red tape, paper work and regular checks."

"And our 'crimes'?" she asked.

"Have been written off," Gaius confirmed.

"Just like that?"

"Well," Arthur said, giving Merlin a teasing look. "There is payment to be made in certain cases." Merlin rolled his eyes.

"What does _that_ mean?"

"He means that Merlin and a few of his friends are to spend some time working in Camelot," Gaius explained. "To assist me with my Gauntlet research and offer their own suggestions in regard to the Gauntlets."

"I..." She was struggling to keep awake. "I really want to know more."

"It's a good sign," Gaius observed.

"There'll be plenty of time for you to catch up," Merlin said. "But, Gwen's right, you really need to sleep now and you should find that much easier with the adjustments I've made."

Arthur and Merlin helped her upstairs with Gwen running ahead to make sure everything was ready. Once there, the boys sat her down on her bed before making to move away, but Morgana grabbed at Merlin's hand and pulled. "Stay?" she begged.

Merlin looked over at Arthur, as if seeking his approval.

"Fine," he said. "But just to keep an eye on her."

"Obviously," Merlin complained. "As if I'd take advantage of her whilst she's in this state."

~o~0~o~

When Morgana woke up to find Merlin lying next to her, one hand around her wrist, it perhaps wasn't surprising that she thought she was dreaming.

"No, Gana. I'm here."

"Amnesty..." she whispered, starting to recall the earlier conversation.

"Yes. It was a hung parliament in the end, which actually made things even easier for us."

"It did?"

"Yes, because now the minor parties have a far bigger say than they would ordinarily. The Prime Minster had planned to make a few concessions if she was elected but now, with this coalition, even greater changes have been forced through parliament."

Morgana nodded, interested in the news, but still having trouble concentrating after everything she'd been through. "So, we're really free?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that _everyone_ in Eden is happy with _all_ aspects of the new policy, but it is certainly several steps in the right direction."

"That's good then," she replied, sleepily.

"How are you feeling? Not in too much pain?"

"No, I'm fine." She closed her eyes and then opened them again with a frown. "You're really here? It's not a dream?"

He smiled. "Not a dream."

"In that case, why are you wearing clothes in my bed?"

He laughed. "Go back to sleep, Gana. I promise I'll still be here when you wake up."

"Okay. Tell Arthur I want my brooch and wedding ring back."

"Morgana, it's not really..."

"What?"

Merlin chuckled. "Nothing."

~o~0~o~

The following day was the first fairly normal day Morgana had had since she was captured by the Knights. She woke up at ten in the morning, which was apparently early for her in the months she'd been here.

Months.

That was the first shock. Six whole months since the motorway service station.

She had slightly more breakfast than usual and then sat with Gwen and Merlin whilst they tried to fill in a few blanks for her. Arthur came over at lunch time, as was his custom apparently, before trying to persuade Merlin to return to work with him. Something he was extremely reluctant to do.

"I don't know what you're worried about," Arthur replied. "Gwen can call you if there's a problem and then you can do that transporting trick of yours to get back here quickly."

Morgana gaped. It was very odd to hear her brother talk of magic so calmly.

"I'm not so sure over this distance," Merlin said. "And I really don't see what advice I can give Gaius that Edwin can't."

"Edwin's here?" Morgana asked.

"Yes. He's come over to share his knowledge of Gauntlets and help create some better versions for everyone to wear."

"He was very worried about you and wanted to visit," Gwen said. "But we thought it wasn't a good idea whilst you weren't yourself."

"But he can come over now?"

"Perhaps," Merlin replied. "But why not wait another day or two and then you can come and visit Camelot yourself."

She looked at him warily. "Ah, I'm not really sure..."

"I know it's hard for you to take in, Gana, but really, everything is different now. There's no need to be afraid of Camelot any more."

"How's Dad taking all of this?"

The three others exchanged a look.

"He's not been well," Gwen replied carefully.

"But right now you need to focus on getting _yourself_ better," Arthur said. "And Gaius really does need Merlin to come in this afternoon."

She looked at them, suspiciously. "What are you not telling me?"

"Later, Morgana."

She glared at Merlin, remembering when he always used to say that to her during their early days of lessons. But the boys were moving away and she was still a little too unsteady on her feet to follow them.

~o~0~o~


	25. Something Magic About You

**A Week Later**

Morgana's recovery was fairly rapid from that point onwards, although getting her fully well was going to be a difficult balancing act. She should not cast spells in her current, delicate state but often became confused, and Merlin constantly worried that she'd forget that instruction.

Luckily, his initial adjustments had pretty much banished her disorientation and, at first, she was far too tired to even contemplate magic anyway. Merlin spent as much time as he could with her in those first few days, to keep an eye on her and her Gauntlet just in case she relapsed, as well as trying to catch her up with everything that had happened whilst she'd been ill.

Although there wasn't much to tell, he said. He and Mordred had simply travelled to Eden - a large country house in rural Wales - where he'd helped to settle and train the boy whilst trying to work out how he was going to try rescue her.

"I never did get to see it," she complained, sleepily.

"You will," he replied. "Soon, I promise, but right now I think we should try to get to sleep."

And she certainly wasn't going to complain about spending each night with Merlin, even if he did stubbornly refuse to get undressed. Of course, she soon realised that that was mostly because he didn't entirely trust himself to behave and she knew she wasn't much help, often deliberately snuggling closer to him whilst he was asleep or moving in for a kiss the moment he woke.

"Morgana…" he gasped. "We can't. This room isn't secure and… anyway, I'm not sure you're quite yourself yet."

"Spoilsport."

It reminded her of their early days, when her newly released magic kept tempting her to misbehave and Merlin kept worrying about being them found out. And although it was true that she would no longer be in serious trouble if she _did_ lose control of her magic, she was no more keen than Merlin to have Gaius or Arthur come bursting in to see what the problem was and catch them in the act.

"Why don't you use it as a lesson and practice for me?" she suggested one morning. "Can't we use the en suite to help?"

"I've put a few modest blocks in here and in there," Merlin admitted. "But neither room is especially suitable for a number of reasons." He sighed. "But lessons? I suppose. We really do need to find some way of solving this. Being with you now is even harder than it was before."

She smiled at his admission. "But we solved it at Edwin's didn't we? We learnt how to make love with minimal shields?"

"The farmhouse was better shielded than this and you were in full health." He sighed again. "Let's start off small, just as we did before." And he moved forward to kiss her. It was very chaste and gentle at first but slowly built until both started to feel the familiar pressure on their Gauntlets.

Morgana was wearing her newest one on her right wrist again now - the one Edwin had given her - and, after the kiss had ended, she and Merlin went into the little bathroom and ran their wrists under the taps, draining the excess magic before kissing again. It helped that she wasn't getting quite as wound up as she had before and was still sleeping rather more than usual anyway. It many ways it was worse for Merlin who was in good heath, but at least he had enough experience and control to deal with his own tension whilst she was asleep.

Of course, as each day passed, Morgana began to feel more like herself and their mornings became more and more passionate, both of them pushing their magic control to the limit as they tried to balance her recovery with their own sexual desires. Finally she could put up with it no longer, walking out of the en-suite completely naked on evening, and dragging Merlin back into the shower with her.

"I'm still not sure you're ready," Merlin gasped, desperately trying to undress before his clothes got soaking wet. "If you over-exert yourself when you're still recovering you might relapse."

"Then teach me," she ordered. "You've enough power and control for both of us, but I am not waiting a moment longer to have my wicked way with you."

~o~0~o~

It had taken longer than Merlin had hoped for Morgana to feel strong enough, physically and mentally, to make the trip into Camelot and she still hadn't felt that happy about the visit – still experiencing nightmares about the last time she'd been there. However, as soon as she saw Edwin she began to relax, remembering the happy times she'd spent at his farmhouse – both real _and_ imagined.

"Morgana. How are you?" the sorcerer asked.

She smiled. "Much better now. There was a time when I thought I'd be trapped in that darkness forever."

"The purple setting is cruel and unnecessary," Edwin said with a scowl. "I have already suggested a couple of alternatives for the most dangerous of criminals as I don't believe even _they_ deserve such a punishment, never mind someone like you."

"Will they listen?" she asked.

"I think they'll have to," Merlin replied. "Banning Purple is the main reason that Eden and others have agreed to work with this coalition at all."

"Yes, if the government insists on keeping this setting, they'll be shooting themselves in the foot," Edwin agreed. "There are those at Eden who are wary enough, even of _this_ deal."

"Well, I'd be happy enough to be a spokesperson for you when I'm fully recovered," Morgana said. "Seeing I have a very personal perspective on that setting."

"That would be a great help," Edwin said. "Most of the others who've been put on Purple have not recovered enough to be of much use."

The casual reply shocked her and she turned wide-eyed to Merlin who nodded sadly. "I was petrified when I heard what the Knights had done to you, Gana. I played it down a bit whilst you were recovering but, for a while there, I thought history was going to repeat itself and..." Tears shone in his eyes but he wiped them quickly away. "Anyway, Gaius said he'd give you a tour of the place."

She raised an eyebrow. "Ah, I _have_ been here before, you know?"

"Not since we've made all the changes," Gaius replied with a smile.

"Oh? What changes?"

"We still have visitors, of course," Gaius said. "Only this time, that really is what they are. There were plenty of unused rooms in here before but now they are being converted into waiting rooms and teaching rooms so that those who don't want to wear blocking Gauntlets can be trained to use their magic instead."

"Do you mean to say that some _want_ to be blocked?"

"Many do, yes," Merlin replied. "If you remember I was saying much the same thing to you and Mordred before. Not only do they help prevent random, unwanted bursts of magic, especially in teenagers, but many people are still wary of the skill and will need some time to adjust to the idea."

"But surely, if you explain to them the benefits of having their magic freed? Let them know how easily they can be trained?" she pushed.

Merlin shook his head. "We're not going to force people to remove their Gauntlets, Gana, otherwise we'd be no better than the previous administration. We want to give everyone a choice. A _real_ choice. Our job now is to explain all the facts to each person and let them decide for themselves. Once they have reached a decision, we'll work out a plan and then recall them after a certain period to check how things are going and to allow them to change their mind, if they wish."

"I suppose." She frowned. "It just seems a bit odd to me, that's all."

"You're not the only one to think that," Edwin mumbled.

She turned to Merlin who simply shrugged, signalling her to leave the laboratory with Gaius.

The pair then left the younger men to their work and started the short tour. After seeing some of the new rooms and talking to a couple of visitors, she returned with him to the lab where she found out a little more about the plans for the new Gauntlet system and watched and assisted with some of their work.

Merlin then suggested the two of them went out to lunch and Gaius told Merlin he could have the afternoon off to ensure Morgana hadn't been tired out too much.

It felt like a real treat to be outside and away from her father's house, and especially nice to eat out now her appetite was almost back to normal. All the same, she was pleased enough to leave the restaurant at the end of the meal, as she was starting to find the noise a little overwhelming.

"I'm tired and probably should rest," she told Merlin as she left. "But somehow I just don't feel like going back right now."

"Nothing easier," he replied with a broad grin. "Why not come back to mine?"

"Oh..." She had to admit she'd almost forgotten about their old places – their old lives. "What about my flat…?"

"You _could_ go back there, I suppose," he began. "Although I've moved back into my place since I returned and have everything set up as before so that'll probably be easier."

"You mean you have all the full blocks set up in the bedroom and bathroom?" she asked with a smirk.

He smiled too. "Just as before."

"Well that solves everything then," she said, moving her hand into his. "No need to squash up in that tiny shower or be cautious around those weak shields."

"That's true," Merlin agreed before suddenly smirking. "But, of course, you're probably far too tired."

"I _am_ tired," she agreed. "But I assure you that some of our old water games will guarantee me a good sleep." It was her time to smirk. " _If_ you think you can handle it."

~o~0~o~

It was good to be back at Merlin's house and Morgana quickly made herself at home, declaring that she was quite well enough recovered to leave her father's place and move in with Merlin permanently.

Her boyfriend gave absolutely no objection. In fact, the small smile she noticed before he turned around, made her suspect that this had been his plan all along.

The following day Morgana retuned to the big house only to pack her bags before quickly leaving without even visiting Uther.

Her father's health was not good. He had shown some signs of mental instability before all of this, Gaius said, although his symptoms had been mild enough to go unnoticed by most. Unfortunately, Morgana's disappearance and the revelation about her magic had been one step too far for him, although Morgana didn't feel any guilt as Gwen had feared when she finally told her. She was _not_ going to apologise for who she was or whom she loved, and the various encounters father and daughter had had during and after her own illness had definitely not helped their relationship to improve.

To be honest, it was the main reason she wanted to leave.

The other reason was Merlin. She wanted to be with him now, and not just because he was the best person to help her recover, but because she was in love with him. She still didn't know what she was going to do with that knowledge or how that might effect her own feelings - considering the strange domestic dreams she'd experienced whilst wearing the Purple Gauntlet - but, for now, she was simply happy to be in his company.

~o~0~o~

So, Morgana quickly fell into a new, pleasant routine; waking up in Merlin's arms and sharing a passionate morning shower with him before they both left for Camelot. Her boyfriend was now in great demand, Arthur wanting him back as his PA whilst Gaius needed his assistance in the Lab whilst Edwin regularly travelling between Eden and Parliament to help with the new Gauntlet plans.

Morgana slowly started to return to her old job, although she was part-time at first, in order to gain her energy levels back. Gwen returned as her PA too and it was almost like old times, except that she was now very much happier than she had been before her magic was released.

The four friends would often go out for lunch or dinner together and, it was during one of these meals that Arthur and Gwen announced their engagement.

"Not that we're going public with the news quite yet," Arthur said.

"Oh, why not?" Morgana asked.

He shrugged. "Dad. I'm not sure he'd approve."

"You're not _sure_?" she countered. "Don't tell me he doesn't even know you two have been dating?"

Her brother winced. "It ah, never really came up before his illness and since then… well… I didn't really want to make things any more difficult for him."

She raised an eyebrow. "For him or for you?"

"It's fine, Morgana," Gwen said. "Arthur and I have talked about it and I think it's best… for now. We know how we feel and we know what we want. There's no rush."

She shrugged. "I suppose not."

"And you're looking a lot better, Morgana," her brother said.

She smiled. "Yes, just about back to normal, I think."

"Ah, but what is normal for you?" he teased. Morgana stuck her tongue out at him and the other two laughed.

~o~0~o~

"Here you go," Merlin said, handing her a small box the following day.

"What's this?" Morgana asked

"You did say you wanted your brooch back."

"Oh, it's Aithusa!" she said with a grin, opening it to find the little dragon pin inside, along with a small, velvet bag. She threw her arms around Merlin and kissed him on the cheek. "I missed her."

He laughed. "I can't believe what your subconscious managed to conjure up. Using the brooch to adjust your Gauntlet and somehow giving it its own personality. Not only that but, during the night we were camping, you managed to have a true vision about your future delusion."

She laughed. "Snakes and Dragons!"

"Although I did manage to get through to you a few times even when you were at your worse," Merlin continued, thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it shouldn't have been possible, of course, but with us both being Silver and me stronger than most..."

"What are you saying, Merlin?"

"That I tried to talk to you telepathically a few times and suggested you attempted to lower the setting yourself."

She gaped at him. "You mean you were the dragon? _You're_ Aithusa?"

"Well, I'm not sure about that. I think it was more a matter of your mind trying to create some logic out of the chaos. And your imagination in that case probably saved your life."

"It did?"

He nodded. "Anyway, don't forget the other piece of jewellery you wanted back."

She looked at him with a frown, not remembering.

"Gwen said you made more of a fuss about that false wedding ring than you did about Aithusa."

She felt her cheeks warm. "Ah, it made me feel closer to you, somehow. As you said, my odd dreams and visions were the only thing that kept me grounded."

He smiled and handed her the pouch and Morgana tipped it up so the ring could fall onto her palm.

She frowned. "This isn't the same ring."

"I know. That one really was very cheap."

And it wasn't a simple gold band either. It had a stone on it. A very sparkly stone. Morgana's jaw dropped and she stared at Merlin.

He grinned. "Do I need to go back down on one knee, or did the last time count?"

"W-what?"

"When I was adjusting your Gauntlet."

"I… I'm…."

"Speechless? That's most unlike you."

She glared at him. "Do you _really_ want to start teasing me now?"

"Perhaps not, but then the making up with you is always such fun."

"Merlin!"

"Sorry..." He went down on one knee and became suddenly more serious. "Morgana. Will you marry me?"

She had no idea why she was so surprised. Hadn't she been dreaming, daydreaming and imagining this situation for ages?

"Yes, Merlin. Of course I will."

He looked up at her through long eyelashes, his expression suddenly shy. "Really?"

She shook her head. "A minute ago you didn't seem so unsure."

"Yeah, sorry just…" His smile reverted to something altogether more wicked. "Are you still cross with me? Did you want me to do that making up now?"

~o~0~o~

**Epilogue**

So apparently it hadn't been a delusion but a true vision. Because here she was in a little cottage in the grounds of the grand Country House which was home for Eden and its supporters in Wales. Here she was sitting on a comfy sofa with Mordred on one side and Merlin on the other, his hand resting gently on her swollen stomach.

The baby kicked and her husband's eyes widened, looking at her in wonder.

"He's strong."

"She," Morgana corrected.

He looked at her closely. "You seem very sure about that."

She shrugged. "Apparently, my visions are never wrong."

"I'd much rather have a brother," Mordred commented, his eyes still on the screen.

Merlin grinned. "I think it's a bit too late to swap it now."

Morgana laughed. "Shouldn't you be getting ready to go over to Eden House, Mordred?"

The boy looked at the clock. "I suppose. Are you sure I can't stay here and meet your friends?"

Morgana and Merlin exchanged a look. "Another time, perhaps. Surely you'd much rather go to Kara's birthday party? I hear there'll be lots of tasty food and fun DVDs to watch."

"And a sleepover," Merlin added. "That'll be exciting, won't it?"

The boy nodded then, suddenly more animated. "Fina makes amazing cakes."

"She does indeed. Off you go then, you don't want everyone else to eat them." The boy scurried out of the room.

"When are Arthur and Gwen arriving?" Morgana asked.

Merlin looked at his watch. "They're due in the next half hour. Do you need to lie down before then?"

"I'll be fine." She gave him a hard stare.

"What?"

"I was just wondering how long to you intend to keep Mordred and Arthur apart?"

He gave her a sheepish grin. "Indefinitely?"

She shook her head, fondly. "There's got to be an easier way."

"Perhaps, but I've no idea what."

"Well it certainly will be nice to see the two of them again."

"I'm surprised they were able to get away, to be honest."

"Yes," she agreed. "The Coalition has certainly been keeping all of you very busy."

"It's been worth it though."

She raised an eyebrow. "Some here in Eden would disagree."

He pulled a face. "They'll come around."

"Are you sure?"

He gave her a searching look. "What? Have you had a vision about it?"

"No, it's just..." She shook her head. "You're right, of course. This is the very best compromise to keep everyone happy."

"I'm right?"

She grinned and thumped him on the arm. "Very occasionally."

~o~o~o~

The doorbell rang and Merlin grinned and jumped up like a small child at Christmas.

"They're here, they're here!"

He ran out into the hallway and Morgana followed at a rather more sedate pace, arriving to find Arthur and Gwen walking in through the door with huge smiles on their faces. She walked over to embrace them.

"You are both looking so well," Gwen declared.

"Says you," Merlin retorted.

"You really have made excellent time," Morgana declared.

"It was easier to find than I thought," Arthur replied. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." She smiled. "Although this little one is full of beans already. Goodness knows what she'll be like when she's born."

"Oh, you had that test, did you?" Gwen asked. "You were told it was a girl?"

Morgana exchanged a look at Merlin and smirked. "Something like that. Anyway, we're very rude to keep you standing in here in the corridor, please come in and make yourself at home."

"And a beautiful home it is too," Arthur declared.

"I really do love it here," Morgana said.

Gwen smiled. "I'm just glad we were able to make the time to visit."

"Who would have believed it." Arthur joked. "Me... here in the heart of the evil sorcerers' territory."

"Hey!" Morgana complained as Gwen hit her husband on the arm for his cheek.

"So yes, welcome to this evil den," Merlin joked with a broad smile. "Welcome to Eden."

~o~0~o~

**The End**

~o~0~o~

Babe, there's something tragic about you  
Something so magic about you  
Don't you agree?  
Babe, there's something lonesome about you  
Something so wholesome about you  
Get closer to me

No tired sigh, no rolling eyes, no irony  
No "who cares", no vacant stare, no time for me

Honey you're familiar  
Like my mirror years ago  
Idealism sits in prison  
Chivalry fell on his sword

Innocence died screaming  
Honey, ask me, I should know  
I slithered here from Eden  
Just to sit outside your door

Babe, there's something wretched about this  
Something so precious about this  
Oh, where to begin

Babe, there's something broken about this  
But I might be open about this  
Oh, what a sin

To the strand, a picnic planned for you and me  
A rope in hand for your other man  
To hang from a tree

Honey you're familiar  
Like my mirror years ago  
Idealism sits in prison  
Chivalry fell on his sword

Innocence died screaming  
Honey, ask me, I should know  
I slithered here from Eden  
Just to hide outside your door

Honey you're familiar  
Like my mirror years ago  
Idealism sits in prison  
Chivalry fell on his sword

Innocence died screaming  
Honey, ask me, I should know  
I slithered here from Eden  
Just to hide outside your door

_'From Eden' by Hozier_

~o~0~o~

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, typically a few ideas for a sequel started to form as I wrote the last few chapters. Nothing concrete yet but, who knows? ;)
> 
> Thank you for all your lovely reviews and words of encouragement.


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